Tom Moritz is a scholar, environmentalist, knowledge manager, and adjunct professor at University of the West (Rosemead, California), where he teaches in the Liberal Arts, Psychology, and Buddhist Chaplaincy departments. Some of his courses include Environmental Leadership and Buddhist Psychology and Addiction, both of which are discussed in this episode! Tom also talks about growing up with progressive parents who took him to China at a young age, having an anti-war attitude during the 1960's and 70's, and a bit about his wide-ranging background in academia, activism, and the workplace. Tom's deep love of the Earth and its many creatures radiates through as he shares his years of experience, accumulated knowledge, and compassionate wisdom with his students, colleagues, and in this interview. 

Tom currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Death Valley Natural History Association and has worked as a librarian and worldwide as an adviser on knowledge management, leading in the formation of the Biodiversity Heritage Library and the UNEP-based Conservation Commons (which work included the release of the first World Database on Protected Areas). He also serves on numerous advisory bodies and is the author of many publications and presentations. At the Getty Research Institute, he served as Chief of Knowledge Management (and Associate Director for Administration) and led successful efforts to develop a comprehensive digital strategy. At the American Museum of Natural History (NYC), he was Director of Library Services and oversaw scientific publishing. He has worked in the public sector and the non-profit private sector and successfully won grants from the Mellon and Sloan Foundations and the US National Science Foundation, as well as from private donors. In Fall, 2005, he served as Visiting Associate Professor at the Pratt Institute Graduate School of Library and Information Science. He has also served as an adviser to the US Office of Personnel Management on "big data."

This conversation was originally recorded on September 5th, 2019, in Rosemead, California.

Books, Papers, and Presentations: https://independent.academia.edu/TomMoritz

Tom’s Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/tom.moritz

Death Valley Natural History Association: https://dvnha.org/

University of the West: http://www.uwest.edu/

Buddhist Global Relief: https://www.buddhistglobalrelief.org/index.php/en/

Homeboy Industries: https://homeboyindustries.org/

Biodiversity Heritage Library: https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/

American Museum of Natural History (NYC): https://www.amnh.org/

AMNH Research Library: https://www.amnh.org/research/research-library

World Database on Protected Areas (WDPA): https://www.protectedplanet.net/

Conservation Commons: http://www.conservationcommons.org/

American Museum of Natural History Congo Expedition: http://diglib1.amnh.org/

The featured musical tracks, Here In This Darkness and Jub Attack were composed by Michael Radford. Hear more at https://soundcloud.com/mubba!

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