"Ecotourism in Costa Rica: An Alternative for Sustainable Development" will be the topic of the Oct. 25 University Forum lecture.

The slide-illustrated lecture will be presented by Gabriel A. Quesada, president of the Instituto Interamericano de Ecologia Aplicada (Institute of Applied Ecology) and professor of the University Studies Abroad Consortium of the Universidad Nacional (National University) in Heredia, Costa Rica.

Quesada will explain how Costa Rica, which is located in one of the most biologically diverse regions on the globe, has embraced ecotourism as a way to promote ecologically friendly industries that do little damage to the natural surroundings. He will discuss how the placement of certain tourism projects near protected areas has, nonetheless, provoked serious ecological concerns and how those concerns are being addressed. The lecture is being cosponsored by UNLV's department of anthropology.

On Oct. 31, Clinton J. Andrews, professor of urban planning at Rutgers University, will present a lecture on the topic of "Deciding Where to Live and Work: Assessing Livability."

During his talk, Andrews will summarize methods for assessing livability and explore why livability is a highly sought-after, but hard-to-define, commodity that motivates individual, business, and political decisions. He will conclude his talk with concrete steps that the Las Vegas region can take to improve its own livability. The lecture is being cosponsored by UNLV's department of environmental studies.

Both lectures begin at 7:30 p.m. in the auditorium of the Marjorie Barrick Museum of Natural History. All University Forum lectures are free and open to the public.

The University Forum lecture series is sponsored by the College of Liberal Arts and is underwritten by the Lodge Kalafatis Trust and the UNLV Foundation. For more information on the series, call 895-3401 or send an E-mail to: forum@nevada.edu.