Environmental talks
'Earth Equity Environment' speaker series meets Mondays in ISE Lab
9:51 a.m., Feb. 13, 2015--The University of Delaware’s Interdisciplinary Science Learning Laboratories speaker series for spring semester is set to begin on Monday, Feb. 16. This free lunchtime series, titled “Earth Equity Environment,” features environmental projects and activities involving UD faculty, staff and students.
The sessions will be held each Monday through May 11, from 12:30-2 p.m. in Room 110 of the Interdisciplinary Science and Engineering Laboratory (ISE Lab). Each session highlights two projects presented in a TED-style talk ending with a discussion session.
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The series is free and open to the public, but registration is required; to register or for more information, contact Kimberly Doucette at doucette@udel.edu. The first 30 attendees to register will be provided sandwiches and beverages.
The scheduled speaker sessions are:
Feb. 16 — Doug Tallamy, professor of entomology and wildlife ecology, will be presenting the topic, “Why Novel Ecosystems Don’t Work.”
Annette Giesecke, interim chair of the Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures and professor of women and gender studies, will address the relationship between humans and the natural environment, particularly the role of gardens and gardening.
Feb. 23 — Amy Trauth-Nare, associate director of science education in UD’s Delaware Center for Teacher Education, will discuss the preparation for the next generation of environmental stewards through participatory thinking and doing through local environmental action.
Wendy Carey, a coastal hazards and resiliency specialist with Delaware Sea Grant, will speak about “Delaware’s ’62 Storm — Engaging the Public in 2014.”
March 2 — Jeffrey Richardson, project leader for outreach and engagement and interim director of the Master of Arts in Liberal Studies program, will talk about “Let the Sun Shine: Solar Power, Access and Community Transformation.”
Harsh Bais, associate professor of plant and soil sciences, will discuss the recent surge to understand the impact of microbiome on plant health in a talk titled “Probiotics for Plants.” He will highlight the unknown biological significance and potential effects of microbiome on the host plants.
March 9 — Huantian Cao, associate professor of fashion and apparel studies, will talk about the sustainable development of the textile and apparel industry through environmentally friendly material development and product design.
Jim Corbett, professor in the schools of Marine Science and Policy and of Public Policy and Administration, will discuss “Christmas in October, Roses and Orange Juice from Far Away, and Other Interesting Facts about How Ships Bring Us What We Buy.” His talk will attempt to connect people’s daily habits with the global supply chain.
March 16 — An extension specialist from UD’s Department of Plant and Soil Sciences, Jennifer Volk, will talk about the “Chesapeake Bay Program and the Recently Signed Watershed Agreement.”
David Ames, director of UD’s Center for Historic Architecture and Design and professor of geography and of public policy and administration, will focus on “What it Takes to be a National Landmark: The Read House in New Castle, Delaware.”
March 23 — Information about this session is not yet available.
April 6—Siobhan Carroll, assistant professor of English, will speak about “Frankenstein’s Climate: Geoengineering and Poetry in 1816,” discussing the climatology debate following 1816’s “Year without a Summer,” and the way that Romantic writers such as Mary Shelley used climate change references in their works.
Valerie Maxwell will discuss “Making Waves for a Clean Ocean,” describing the work of Clean Ocean Action, an environmental grassroots coalition providing leadership through research on pollution issues that affect the marine environment, and policy formulation and campaigns to eliminate each pollution source.
April 13 — Adam Rome, the Unidel Helen Gouldner Chair for the Environment in the Department of History, will present the topic “Why Do We Have Environmental Problems?”
Jacob Bowman, professor of entomology and wildlife ecology and department chairperson, will talk about the “White-Tailed Deer Problem” and whether it is real or perceived.
April 20 — Carolyn Bartoo, instructor in the Department of Communication, will speak about “It’s Boring! Why Scientists’ Global Warming Sound Bites Actually Harm the Planet They Seek to Help … and How to Communicate More Effectively Instead. If Stanford and Yale Can Do It, Why Not UD?”
Victor Perez, assistant professor of sociology and criminal justice, will focus on “Sea Level Rise, Pollution, and Environmental Justice Communities.”
April 27 — Gerald Kauffman, project director of the Water Resources Agency in UD’s Institute for Public Administration, assistant professor of civil and environmental engineering and of public policy and administration, will talk about the White Clay Creek National Wild and Scenic River Shad Restoration Project.
Jules Bruck, associate professor of plant and soil sciences, will present “Designing to Enhance Community.”
May 4 — Del Levia, professor of geography, will talk about water-forest interactions.
McKay Jenkins, Cornelius A. Tilghman Professor of English, will discuss the science and politics of genetically modified organisms (GMOs).
May 11 — Thomas Schumacher, assistant professor of civil and environmental engineering, will talk about the need for sustainable engineering in a technology-dominant society.
Marsha Dickson, the Dr. Irma Ayers Professor of Human Services and chairperson of the Department of Fashion and Apparel Studies, will also speak. Details about her topic will be available soon.
Article by Ashley Heller