Interdisciplinary Solutions to Modern Challenges: Ecological Science, Environmental Law, and the Environmental Humanities
Co-Directors
- Mark D. Hunter, Odum Chair of Ecology and Dean, Odum School of Ecology
- Adam D. Orford, assistant professor, School of Law
Description
Ecological degradation undermines social well-being. All human prosperity depends on nature’s ecosystems, but human activities often compromise those systems, as evidenced by ongoing biodiversity loss, freshwater and soil resource degradation, and disruptions to atmospheric and ocean biogeochemical cycles. Ecological science, environmental law, and the environmental humanities have all made vital contributions, individually and collectively, to the preservation and sustainable management of Earth’s ecosystems. But the urgency of today’s environmental challenges demands more frequent and effective collaboration among these disciplines. Here, we engage in collaborative conversations centered on a series of seminars and discussions. We bring together experts in ecology, law, and the humanities to engage with students and faculty around major environmental issues important to communities within and beyond Georgia.
During fall semester each year, we will invite three experts to campus who represent the fields of ecological science, environmental law, and the environmental humanities. Organized around an urgent environmental issue, these experts will first speak individually on their areas of expertise. Collectively, they will then consider how their disciplines intersect and can work together to help solve the most pressing environmental problems. A moderated panel discussion will follow the presentations, whereby students and faculty from across campus can pose questions to the speakers and seek guidance on opportunities for synergy. In the spring semester following each event, we will reconvene student and faculty groups around the annual theme to revisit lessons learned and maintain momentum for collaborative work.
