Owens Corning executive delivers Vadnais Lecture at MCLA
NORTH ADAMS, Mass. - Owens Corning Vice President and Chief Sustainability Officer Frank O’Brien-Bernini will present the annual Elizabeth and Lawrence Vadnais Environmental Issues Lecture at Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts Thursday, October 22 at 7 p.m. in the Sammer-Dennis Room of Murdock Hall on campus.The lecture is free and open to the public.
O’Brien-Bernini, an alumnus of MCLA, oversees global accountability for Owens Corning’s corporate sustainability strategy development and execution, driving value creation inside the continuous balance of economic growth, social progress, and environmental stewardship. Owens Corning is a world leader in building materials and composite systems and solutions.
The company’s global sustainability business and communication strategy, “Pink-is-Green,” is specifically aimed at greening operations and products and accelerating energy efficiency improvements in the built environment. With more than 25 years experience, O’Brien-Bernini has held various leadership positions across the company, including vice president and chief research and development officer.
O’Brien-Bernini’s contributions to sustainability, as well as his engaging depth and breadth on this subject, have made him a frequent guest speaker at major energy forums, global executive and industry conferences, and a regular media spokesperson on the topics of global sustainability, winning-with-green, and energy efficiency.
He has addressed conferences organized by The Economist, Forbes, the American Wind Energy Association and The World Bank. He has also appeared on the Discovery Channel’s Planet Green program.
He is on the Board of Trustees of the National Association of Home Builders’ National Council of the Housing Industry, the Board of Advisors of the Center for Multifunctional Polymer Nanomaterials and Devices, and the Ohio Biopolymers Innovation Center.
O’Brien-Bernini earned a bachelor's degree in science and a master's degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Massachusetts, where his research focus was solar energy.
The annual MCLA Elizabeth and Lawrence Vadnais Environmental Issues Lecture series is named for Professor Lawrence H. Vadnais and his wife Elizabeth Vadnais. Thanks to the support of many alumni and friends, the Vadnais Fund at MCLA has been officially endowed and will support an annual lecture in perpetuity.
The deep commitment of Betty and Larry Vadnais to the environment and to the work and study that advances the goal of a cleaner, healthier, and more sustainable world has been seminally important. The MCLA community is honored to have their legacy at the College represented by this important series. This lecture continues to host experts in the environmental field to share ideas, and identify solutions to some of the most pressing challenges of our time.
For more information on the O’Brien-Bernini lecture October 22 call (413) 662-5185.
