The University of Wisconsin-Platteville will welcome Robert F. Kennedy Jr. later this week as its distinguished lecturer with an environmental message.

An attorney specializing in environmental law, Kennedy has established a reputation as an environmental protector through his legal actions, several books and numerous articles from many reputable publications.

Kennedy was also named one of Time Magazine’s “Heroes for the Planet” in 1999.

Students say they are looking forward to having a speaker with Kennedy’s reputation on their campus.

“We’ve had many famous speakers before, but I think his environmental agenda will really hit home with the Platteville community,” UW-Platteville student Brady Smith said.

UW-Platteville announced Kennedy’s visit to campus earlier this year, Dean of Students Richard Egley said.

Survey results from students and faculty on campus showed high interest in having Kennedy come to speak.

Kennedy is also scheduled to participate in a press conference before the event and will do a book signing afterward.

Classes will also be suspended during the time of the lecture so that all students can attend, and there will not be an admission fee.

Egley said he believes this visit is far more important than just sitting down for another lecture.

Kennedy is scheduled to begin his lecture at 10 a.m. Friday in the Williams Fieldhouse on the UW-Platteville campus. The lecture is a public presentation, so both the campus and surrounding community are welcome to attend.

This is not the first influential speaker to speak to the UW-Platteville campus.

The school hosts an annual distinguished lecturer, and Richard Picciotto, the highest-ranking firefighter on the New York Fire Department to survive the World Trade Center collapse, spoke on campus last year.

There will be a lot of student interaction on campus during Kennedy’s visit.

Kennedy will be met by student representatives from the committee that put together the lecture program.

The five student winners of UW-Platteville’s campus contest “Kennedy’s Fantastic Five” will also have a sit-down lunch with Kennedy and get to watch his speech from reserved seating at the event.

“These opportunities are presented for the enrichment of the minds of those able to attend,” Egley said.