Published: February 27, 2015
“Mr. Everest” Peter Athans to Speak at UT March 4
Peter Athans' name has been synonymous with the exploration of Mt. Everest for nearly two decades. But summiting the world’s tallest peak seven times isn’t the only entry on Athans' long list of achievements.
Stop by The University of Tampa on Wednesday, March 4, to hear Athans present Mt. Everest and the People of the Himalaya as part of the National Geographic Speaker Series. The event will begin at 6 p.m. in the Vaughn Center Crescent Club and is free and open to the public.
Known in some circles as “Mr. Everest,” Athans summited Mount Everest for the first time in 1990 and hasn’t stopped climbing since. He has climbed Everest seven times, participated in 16 expeditions there and was awarded the highest medal of recognition from the American Alpine Club for a rescue featured in the bestselling book and feature film Into Thin Air.
In addition to climbing Everest, Athans has completed speed ascents of Annapurna South, Pumori, Ama Dablam and Cho Oyu.
Athans is interested in the exploration of both the physical and cultural landscapes of Tibet and Western China, home to countless untrammeled peaks and unique, vanishing cultures. He has worked with National Geographic Television and PBS on showcasing archaeological discoveries in Nepal’s Kingdom of Mustang, including The Secrets of Shangri-La, The Search for Lost Cave Temples and Cave People of the Himalaya.
He is an accomplished speaker and has contributed to dozens of books, periodicals, lectures and films featuring exploration and adventure in the Himalaya.
After leading expeditions that produced scientific stories for Nova and ABC, Athans championed the Himalayan Cataract Project, which provides sight-restoring surgery to indigent Nepalese patients who suffer from cataract blindness. In 2007, he initiated the Magic Yeti Libraries, featuring illustrated bilingual texts for preschool children in Himalayan villages.
Beyond climbing, Athans has collaborated with North Face for more than 20 years, contributing to the design and sales of products.
An avid philosopher and poet, Athans evokes the magic of true exploration and leadership with personal anecdotes from his expeditions, while asserting that everyone — whether mountaineer, CEO or homemaker — has his or her own Everest.
The event is sponsored by UT’s Office of International Programs. For more information, contact Elizabeth Mills at (813) 258-7433 or emills@ut.edu.
On Friday, April 17, a panel of four industry professionals will present the obstacles and challenges faced in today’s business environment related to whistleblowing.
The panel will be held at The University of Tampa Sykes College of Business, Room 234, from 10:30 a.m. to noon. This “Hot Seat Event” is sponsored by UT’s Center for Ethics. The public is invited, and there is no charge for the event.University of Tampa film students will screen their work at the first annual Moon Dance Film Festival at UT’s Reeves Theater on Tuesday, April 14, at 8:30 p.m.
Aaron Walker, assistant professor of communication, said the festival is an opportunity for UT students both to screen their work and to curate the best work of their peers.“It’s fully student-run, so it shows how deeply the students care about celebrating the strong work of their peers, but also shows how much desire there is for our FMA students to create venues of success for one another,” Walker said. “It’s a terrific collaboration, and will be a terrific party for film. Plus, the movies are great.”
The Sustainable Business Coalition of Tampa Bay Inc. and The University of Tampa Center for Ethics is calling for nominations for their annual Sustainable Business Awards, which will be held on Wednesday, June 10, at The University of Tampa’s Vaughn Center.
Now in its seventh year, the Sustainable Business Awards, sponsored by the Sustany Foundation, recognize and honor for-profit businesses in the Tampa Bay area that engage in practices that increase economic opportunities and improve the environment and community.