The first installment of this semester’s University of Delaware Green Liaisons Sustainability Lecture on Friday, Sept. 23, will feature Sue McNeil, UD professor of civil and environmental engineering and public policy and administration. The lecture will be held from 12:15-1:15 p.m. in the Perkins Student Center Ewing Room.

McNeil will speak about her recent research, completed in partnership with researchers at Bucknell University, on how regional planning organizations are adapting to climate change and changing the scope of their disaster preparedness plans because of it.

After Hurricane Sandy in October 2012 caused significant damage to the U.S. East Coast, regional planning organizations, or metropolitan planning organizations (MPOs), decided to change the way they prepared their cities for climate change and the consequences that may come of it.

Of particular interest to McNeil were the adaptations cities made to their infrastructure directly in the light of this storm, including adding more high-occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes and better monitoring rail and bicycle transit, particularly in low-lying areas. According to McNeil, these measures indicate that cities are now taking the prospect of climate change more seriously.

McNeil investigated the same MPOs both pre- and post-Hurricane Sandy and assessed not only the changes to a city’s practices and policies, but to its perception and awareness of climate change, as well.

In addition to her research and teaching, McNeil is a core faculty member in UD’s Disaster Research Center and she is the former director of the Disaster Research Center and the Disaster Science and Management Graduate Program.

More about Green Liaisons Sustainability Lecture Series

Once a month, Green Liaisons are invited to attend a lunchtime presentation on the small steps that can be implemented by every student, faculty and staff member in order to make UD a greener place to learn, work and live.

All lunches in the Green Liaisons Sustainability Lecture Series are open to Green Liaisons and are usually held from 12:15-1:15 p.m. Members are encouraged to bring their own lunches if they want to. Topics and locations change monthly. Drinks and dessert are provided.

Members of the campus community who are not currently Green Liaisons but want to represent their departments can contact Francis Karani at fkarani@udel.edu or Emily Behnke at ebehnke@udel.edu.

More information regarding the lunch schedule, past events and general information on the Green Liaisons Programs can be found on the website.