Arlene Blum to Speak at WWU about Women in Mountaineering, Feb. 25

BELLINGHAM – Biophysical chemist, author, and mountaineer Arlene Blum will give a talk titled “Women in High Places: To Annapurna and Beyond,” at Western Washington University from 4 - 6 p.m. Monday, Feb. 25 at Western Libraries in the Reading Room (Wilson Library 4^th Floor Central). This event is free and open to the public, and includes a reception with light refreshments.

Blum is the author of "Annapurna: A Woman’s Place," and "Breaking Trail: A Climbing Life," both of which have become classics in mountaineering literature. During her presentation, Blum will share some of her favorite images and stories illustrating her climbs of challenging high peaks, and she will talk about her scientific research and policy work to create a healthier world.

In 1978, Blum led the first American – and first all-women’s – ascent of Annapurna I, one of the most dangerous and difficult mountains in the Himalayas. She also co-led the first women’s team to climb Denali, completed the Great Himalayan Traverse across the mountain regions of Bhutan, Nepal, and India, and hiked the length of the European Alps with her baby daughter on her back. 

Blum received her Ph.D. in biophysical chemistry from U.C. Berkeley, and she has taught at U.C. Berkeley, Stanford University, and Wellesley College. She is the executive director of the Green Science Policy Institute and a research associate in chemistry at U.C. Berkeley, where she works to prevent the use of flame retardants and other harmful chemicals in children’s sleepwear, furniture, electronics, and other products world-wide.

Blum’s awards include: the 2017 International House Berkeley Alumna of the Year, the 2015 Thomas Lamb Elliot Award for lifetime achievement of a Reed College graduate, the 2014 Wheeler Medal given to the city of Berkeley’s “most useful citizen,” and the Jean and Leslie Douglas “Pearl Award” for individuals dedicated to providing a sustainable earth for future generations.  Blum was also elected to the Hall of Mountaineering Excellence. She was selected by the British daily newspaper the Guardian as one of the world’s 100 most inspiring women, by the National Women’s History Project as one of 100 “Women Taking the Lead to Save Our Planet,” and by the American Association for the Advancement of Science as a fellow. She was recently inducted into the California Hall of Fame alongside other 2018 awardees, Joan Baez, Robert Redford, and Belva Davis.

This talk is part of the Heritage Resources Distinguished Speakers program, and is offered in connection with a Western Libraries Special Collections exhibition, “To the Mountaintop,” which explores issues of gender, race, and class in mountaineering. The event is co-sponsored by Western Washington University’s Huxley College of the Environment, the Associated Students Outdoor Center, and the Center for Canadian-American Studies. For more information contact Elizabeth Joffrion, Director of Heritage Resources, at Elizabeth.Joffrion@wwu.edu.