Update: The Mark Bittman lecture has been rescheduled for Wednesday, April 8. 

The University of Iowa Lecture Committee is bringing the award-winning journalist and cookbook author Mark Bittman to campus as part of its spring semester lecture series.

“The Future of Food,” co-sponsored by the UI Food for Thought Theme Semester, will begin at 7:30 p.m. at the Englert Theatre in downtown Iowa City. The event is free and open to the public, and attendees are asked to bring a canned food donation to benefit HACAP and local food pantries. The lobby will open at 6:30 p.m. to patrons for donation drop-offs, with seating starting at 7 p.m.

Bittman is an award-winning journalist and cookbook author. He has written for The New York Times for 30 years, where he was "The Minimalist" in the Dining pages from 1997 to 2010. He is currently a Times columnist for the Op-Ed pages (the first to editorialize about food in a major American newspaper), the Magazine, and the Food section. His books include the now-standard How to Cook Everything as well as the groundbreaking Food Matters and Vegan Before 6:00 (VB6), which debuted at No. 1 on the Times Best Seller list.

His most recently published book, How to Cook Everything Fast, is also a Times Best Seller. Throughout his career, he has made hundreds of television appearances, including Showtime’s Emmy-winning documentary on climate change, Years of Living Dangerously. His numerous professional honors include the James Beard Leadership Award and Books for a Better Life Lifetime Achievement Award.

Other upcoming lectures for the spring semester include the following:

• Vandana Shiva, 2014-15 Distinguished Lecturer, physicist, environmental activist and feminist, will present a lecture at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 10, at the Englert Theatre.
• Hip-hop journalist and author Jeff Chang will present a lecture, “Who We Be: The Colorization of America,” at 7 p.m. Thursday, April 2, at The Mill in downtown Iowa City in conjunction with the Mission Creek Festival.
• Daymond John, “Shark Tank” investor, entrepreneur, and founder of the clothing company FUBU, will present a lecture, “Five S.H.A.R.K. Points: The Fundamental Keys to Business & Personal Success,” at 7 p.m. Thursday, April 23, at the Iowa Memorial Union Main Lounge. The event is presented in partnership with the UI Tippie College of Business and the John Pappajohn Entrepreneurial Center.

For more than 30 years, the University Lecture Committee has brought some of the world’s great thinkers to the UI campus. Speakers have included an impressive roster of national and international figures in science, politics, business, human rights, law, and the arts. The series is funded through student fees with additional private support.

Individuals with disabilities are encouraged to attend all UI-sponsored events. If you are a person with a disability who requires a reasonable accommodation in order to attend this reading, contact the Center for Student Involvement and Leadership in advance at 319-335-3059.