The Boston College Multidisciplinary Faculty Research Seminar on Climate Change

FY22 SI-GECS Type 1

Abstract

A broad-based group of two dozen BC faculty representing each professional school and eight  departments presents a multi-year faculty research seminar highlighting climate change, and cognate energy and environmental issues.  The first, pilot year, includes monthly research presentations by eight to ten BC faculty.  The presentations are followed by intensive discussion in a luncheon seminar format.  Each presentation is proceeded by the distribution of the presenters’ working paper to be reviewed in advance by the faculty participants.  Selected senior PhD students will be invited to participate in the seminar in year one.  In subsequent years we will integrate research presentations by outside speakers and selected graduate students.
This project is multi-year--we have very specific plans to continue the project into future years, as long as funding can be generated, and it is multistage—we intend to build out to include outside speakers in year two, to include selected graduate student presenters in year two, to develop multiple sources of external support beginning as soon as possible, and to extend the project into a program that also engages very substantial collaborative research, curriculum exchange and development activities, and community outreach initiatives.

Members of the Working Group

  • Juliet Schor, Sociology Department, Morrissey College of Arts and Sciences
  • Jeremy Shakun, Earth and Environmental Sciences Department, Morrissey College of Arts and Sciences
  • Praveen Kumar, School of Social Work
  • Mike Barnett, Teaching, Curriculum, & Society Department, Lynch School of Education and Human Development
  • Ethan Baxter, Earth and Environmental Sciences Department, Morrissey College of Arts and Sciences
  • Lisa Cahill, Theology Department, Morrissey College of Arts and Sciences
  • Julia DeVoy, Counseling, Developmental, and Educational Psychology Department, Lynch School of Education and Human Development
  • Tara Pisani Gareau, Earth and Environmental Sciences Department, Morrissey College of Arts and Sciences
  • David Goodman, Lynch School of Education and Human Development
  • Mary Ann Hinsdale, Theology Department, Morrissey College of Arts and Science
  • Andrew Jorgenson, Sociology Department, Morrissey College of Arts and Sciences
  • Phil Landrigan, Biology Department, Morrissey College of Arts and Sciences
  • Neil McCullagh, Carroll School of Management
  • Nichola Minott, International Studies Program, Morrissey College of Arts and Sciences
  • Prasannan Parthasarathi, History Department, Morrissey College of Arts and Sciences
  • Zygmunt Plater, Law School
  • Stephen Pope, Theology Department, Morrissey College of Arts and Sciences
  • Brian Smith, Teaching, Curriculum, and Society Department, Lynch School of Education and Human Development
  • Noah P. Snyder, Earth and Environmental Sciences Department, Morrissey College of Arts and Sciences
  • Richard Sweeny, Economics Department, Morrissey College of Arts and Sciences
  • Andrea Vicini, Theology Department, Morrissey College of Arts and Sciences
  • David Wirth, Law School
  • Gautam Yadama, School of Social Work

Presentations

  • Wednesday 9/22  Phil Landrigan– “Climate Change, Pollution, and Human Health”
  • Friday 10/8  Jeremy Shakun – “Mountain Glaciers have Retreated to their Smallest Extent in Millenia”
  • Friday 10/22 Praveen Kumar - "Household Air Pollution: A Silent Killer
  • Wednesday 11/3  Rich Sweeney– “Winds of Change: Technical Progress & Learning in Wind Power”  
  • Friday 11/19  Report from BC Delegation to the UN COP 26in Glasgow, Scotland
  • Friday 12/3 Andrew Jorgenson – “How Militarization Affects Development and Emissions
  • Wednesday 2/2 - Glasgow 2021 COP 26 Faculty participant presentations:  David Storey, Erik Owen, Dave Deese, and discussion
  • Wednesday 2/23 – Report from COP26 Mary Jo Iozzio; Sue Reed (Guest speaker)
  • Wednesday 3/2 – PhD students Sara Bernard Hoverstad and Laura Clerx
  • Wednesday 3/16 - Mary Ann Hinsdale.  “Religious Responses (internationally) to Climate Catastrophe”
  • Wednesday 3/30 - Hillary Palevski  “The Ocean as a Sink for Natural & Anthropogenic Carbon”
  • Wednesday 4/13 - Dave Deese  “Explaining the Failure of Leading States and International Organizations to Regulate: International Civil Aviation and Shipping Emissions out of Control?”
  • Wednesday 4/27 - Juliet  Schor “Measuring the Carbon and Well-being Impacts of a Four Day Work Week: Trials from Ireland and the US”

Students Trained

  • 1 Graduate Student 

Principal Investigator

Back To Top