Clark University | Marsh Institute

The George Perkins Marsh Institute and Jeanne X. Kasperson Research Library announce the 2009-10 Academic Year Seminar Series. Seminars will present cutting-edge research on human/environment interactions taking place at Clark University and are designed to catalyze discussions regarding future research possibilities. Seminar dates speakers are as follows:

Seminars are open to all in the Clark community and will take place from 12:15 pm - 1:15 pm in the University Center Lurie Conference Room. The format is a 30 minute presentation followed by 30 minutes of questions and discussion. Light refreshments will be provided. Please feel free to bring your own brown-bag lunch if desired.

Marsh Lectures

Reflections on Copenhagen: A Climate Accord with Discord Reconciling Incremental Progress with Frustration and Disappointment

Professor Jennie Stephens (Environmental Science and Policy, IDCE) will give a presentation on Thursday, January 28, 2010 from 12 noon - 1 pm in the Lurie Conference Room, University Center. During this informal presentation, Stephens will share insights learned from her experience and provide perspective on both the process and outcome of the Copenhagen negotiations.

Co-sponsored by the Marsh Institute and the Department of International Development, Community and Environment (IDCE)

Geospatial Data for Sustainability: Ensuring Universal Access

Lance McKee will give a talk on Thursday, January 14, 2010 at noon in the Marsh Institute Conference Room. In 1994, Lance McKee helped found and was subsequently for six years vice president of the Open Geospatial Consortium, Inc. (OGC), an organization for which he continues to serve as a consultant. In this role, he recently co-led a successful effort to involve OGC in the national smart grid standards effort. Lance has been based in Worcester since 1976, serving the community in a wide range of capacities.

Cosponsored by The George Perkins Marsh Institute and the Socio-Technical Transitions Initiative

Socio-Technical Transition Initiative Lecture

Dr. Harald Rohracher gave a lecture at the Marsh Institute on Thursday, November 12, 2009. Dr. Rohracher has been co-founder and former director of the Inter-University Research Centre for Technology, Work and Culture (IFZ) in Graz, Austria, and is Assistant Professor at the Department for Science and Technology Studies, University of Klagenfurt. He has a background in Physics (Graz University of Technology), Sociology (University Graz) and 'Science and Technology Policy' (SPRU, University of Sussex, UK).

In his research, Harald Rohracher is interested in a better understanding of the co-evolution of technology and society and the governance of socio-technical change towards greater sustainability, particularly in the field of energy and the built environment. Current research projects focus on the role of non-state governance initiatives in the transformation of energy systems (e.g. sustainable buildings, green electricity labelling; urban energy initiatives), institutional analysis of innovation systems and the transfer of solar technologies between different socio-cultural contexts (in particular India and Kenya).

The presentation analysed the dynamic growth of the socio-technical system of passive houses in Austria with a special focus on the transformation of the current construction regime and the role of intermediary organisations. Emphasis will also be put on critical phases in the growth of the passive house niche and the challenges still lying ahead.

Albert, Norma and Howard '77 Geller Endowed Lecture Series

This year's Geller Endowed Lecture speaker will be Lester A. Snow. He is Director of the California Department of Water Resources, and has extensive experience as a water agency manager at the regional, state and federal levels. Lester Snow heads a Department that protects, conserves and manages California's water supply, including operation of the largest state-run, multi-purpose water and power system in the United States.

Population growth and changing climate are placing increasing demands on available water supplies in California and elsewhere. Water policies must increasingly balance myriad human demands with goals for healthy, resilient ecosystems. This lecture will present approaches being taken by the State of California to help ensure adequate water availability in the face of climate change, and to address the gap between sustainable water supplies and the many conflicting uses. It will also discuss lessons for water policy worldwide.

The lecture will take place at 4:30 pm on Thursday, November 19, 2009 in the University Center Grace Conference Room. The title of the talk will be "California Water Supply and Ecosystems: Confronting The Challenge of Climate Change." This event is co-sponsored by the Albert, Norma and Howard '77 Geller Research Grants and Lecture Series and The George Perkins Marsh Institute. The lecture is open to all.

Additional events associated with Director Snow's visit to Clark University include:

This year's Geller Endowed Lecture Speaker was Dr. Kenneth Geiser, Professor of Work Environment and Director of the Lowell Center for Sustainable Production at the University of Massachusetts Lowell. The lecture took place at 7:30 pm on Tuesday, April 14th in the Dana Commons, 2nd floor lounge (the fishbowl). The title of Professor Geiser's talk was "Considering New Directions for U.S. Chemicals Policy." This event was co-sponsored by the Geller Endowment, the George Perkins Marsh Institute and the Mosakowski Institute for Public Enterprise.

In conjunction with the Geller Endowed Lecture several events were held through which the Clark Community was able to interact with Dr. Geiser, providing an opportunity for more detailed exploration and discussion of issues related to pollution prevention and cleaner production, toxic chemicals management, international chemicals policy, safer technologies, and green chemistry. These events included:

All in the Clark community as well as the general public are welcome. The Marsh and Mosakowski Institutes encourage you to take this opportunity to interact with a pioneer in Massachusetts and US environmental policy, supported by the generosity of the Geller Endowment. Any questions regarding these events should be directed to Robert J. Johnston, Director of the George Perkins Marsh Institute at 508.751.4619.

The Geller Endowed Research Grants and Lecture Series were established by the family of Dr. Howard Geller. Dr. Geller graduated from Clark in 1977 with a degree in Physics and in Science, Technology and Society (now Environmental Science and Policy). He earned graduate degrees at Princeton and the University of Sao Paolo and became the first executive director of the American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy (ACEEE). After twenty years of accomplishments at ACEEE, including contributions to the National Appliance Energy Conservation Act of 1987 and the Energy Policy Act of 1992, he left ACEEE to found and direct the Southwest Energy Efficiency Project (SWEEP) in 2001. Remembering his own experience as an activist student researcher at Clark, through these annual awards and lectures Howard hopes to encourage other Clark students as they combine research with action that moves society toward sustainability.

Marsh Institute Distinguished Lecture

Dr. Peter Victor, "Contemplating a Steady-State Economy"
4:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m., Grace Conference Room in Higgins University Center

The idea of a steady state economy has a long and chequered history with leading economists and thinkers weighing in with very different views on its likelihood and desirability. At certain times a steady state economy has been at the forefront of issues examined by economists but mostly it has received very limited attention in the economics literature and curricula. With the world's economies struggling to grow and natural systems coming under increasing pressure from human activities, the prospect of a steady state economy has again emerged as something to considered as we move further into the 21st century.

In this lecture Dr. Victor will provide a short history of the steady-state economy drawing on contributions from writers such as John Stuart Mill, Karl Marx, John Maynard Keynes, M. King Hubbert, Kenneth Boulding, Nicolas Georgescu-Roegen, Herman Daly, and Douglas Booth. He will then present and discuss a long term (100 year) simulation of a steady-state economy in the USA focussing on energy, and a more comprehensive and detailed simulation of a 30 year transition to a steady state in the Canadian economy.

Dave Hassenzahl, an expert on risk analysis, from the University of Nevada Las Vegas (UNLV) gave a lecture on Thursday, April 9th from 4:00-5:30 pm in the Grace Conference Room. The title of Dr. Hassenzahl's talk was "Las Vegas: The Sustainability Everytown." Professor Hassenzahl is Chair of the Department of Environmental Studies at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. He is an internationally recognized expert on risk analysis for societal decision-making, with public and private sector experience. His research focuses on the management and interpretation of uncertainty. His contributions include numerous publications, among them the influential Princeton University Press book Should We Risk It. He Chairs the Society for Risk Analysis Education Committee, and is President-Elect of the Risk Assessment and Policy Association. He has received the UNLV Foundation Distinguished Teaching Award, and both the Outstanding Researcher and Outstanding Teacher Awards from the Greenspun College of Urban Affairs.

To many, Las Vegas embodies that which is unsustainable: a city dedicated to hedonism in the middle of a hot, dry desert. And certainly, the particulars of Las Vegas are unique. However, when one begins to tease out what, exactly, about Las Vegas is unsustainable, one finds the major issues are no different than those faced by any urban area in the world. This talk explores a wide range of interacting conditions that promote or preclude sustainability in Las Vegas, with an eye towards opportunities to improve the human condition. Topics include, but are not limited to: alligators, apple strudel, diabetes, sidewalks, wine, pig farms, and nuclear power.

Faculty, students and staff are encouraged to attend. Light refreshments will be served. If there are any questions regarding this upcoming event, please do not hesitate to contact Robert J. Johnston, Director of the George Perkins Marsh Institute at 508.751.4619.

The Marsh Institute will co-sponsor a lecture by Dr. Edward Calabrese, Professor of Environmental Health, University of Massachusetts, Amherst. The lecture was given on Friday, March 20 at 12 noon, in the Lasry Science Center, Room 124. The title was "Challenging the Assumptions about Toxicological Dose Response: Scientific, Ethical and Policy Implications of Hormesis." The talk is being jointly sponsored by Marsh and IDCE.

This promises to be an invigorating discussion of important and controversial discoveries in toxicology with implications for drug discovery and development, clinical trials, and environmental regulation.

Read Dr. Calabrese's biosketch.

Spring 2009 Seminar Series

The George Perkins Marsh Institute and Jeanne X. Kasperson Research Library announce the Spring 2009 Seminar Series. Seminars will present cutting-edge research on human/environment interactions taking place at Clark University and are designed to catalyze discussions regarding future research possibilities. Seminars are open to all in the Clark community and will take place from 12:15 p.m. - 1:15 p.m. in the University Center Lurie Conference Room. The January 29th seminar (only) will take place in the University Center Grace Conference Room. The format is a 30 minute presentation followed by 30 minutes of questions and discussion. Light refreshments will be provided. Please feel free to bring your own brown-bag lunch if desired.

Seminar dates speakers are as follows:

1/29

Framing Wind: The Importance of State Policy and Perceptions in Deploying Climate-Mitigating Energy Technologies
Jennie C. Stephens, Assistant Professor of Environmental Science and Policy, Department of International Development, Community and Environment (IDCE), Clark University

2/12
Using Lawn Maps to Catalyze Human-Environment Research: The Case of Suburban Boston
Colin Polsky, Assistant Professor of Geography, Clark University

2/26
Impacts of Recent Sea Ice Decline on Biological Productivity in Arctic Shelf Seas
Karen Frey, Assistant Professor of Geography, Clark University

3/12
Carbon Consequences of Forest Disturbance and Regrowth Across North America
Christopher Williams, Assistant Professor of Geography, Clark University

3/26
Competing Revolutions in Health Risk Analysis and Toxicity Testing for Chemical Exposures
Dale Hattis, Research Professor, George Perkins Marsh Institute, Clark University

4/9
Practicing Globalization in Bolivia's Wood Products Industry: A Relational Perspective on South-to-North Value Chain Relations
James T. Murphy, Assistant Professor of Geography; Adjunct Assistant Professor of IDCE, Clark University

Marsh Lectures 2008

October 16, 2008

The George Perkins Marsh Institute and Environmental Science and Policy Program presents "Nanotechnology: Health and Environmental Risks, and State of the Science" by Jo Anne Shatkin on Thursday, October 16th at 4:00 p.m. in the Higgins University Center, Lurie Conference Room.

Clark alum ('90 MA, '94 Ph.D.) Jo Anne Shatkin presents the state of the science and salient issues raised by the rapidly expanding development and use of materials in the nanoscale range. The unique properties that may exist for these materials potentially have significant implications for environmental, health, and safety concerns, and may confound the accurate assessment of potential risks as well as require changes to the way such risks are communicated. Shatkin will provide an overview of international activities to address these issues, including NANO LCRA, her proposed adaptive screening level approach for assessing and managing substances in real time, and findings from a recent workshop she organized in Washington DC focused on advancing the science using the tools of risk analysis.

September 23, 2008

The Mosakowski Institute for Public Enterprise and the George Perkins Marsh Institute presents "Closing the Gap Between Science and Practice" by Roger E. Kasperson on Tuesday, September 23rd at 3 pm in the Grace Conference Room, Higgins University Center.

Science has been responsible for many of humankind's most important advances, from vaccines to increasing crop yields to the Internet. Yet the quest for and discovery of new knowledge does not always translate into improvements in societal practices and public policies. Roger Kasperson, a distinguished scholar and member of the National Academy of Sciences, will consider ways to closing the gap between science and practice.

February 15, 2008

Ortwin Renn, formerly of Clark University, currently Managing Director and Professor at the University of Stuttgart, Institute of Social Sciences, gave the first lecture of the 2007-08 academic year on February 15th in the Grace Conference room of the University Center. His topic was "Concepts of Stakeholder Involvement in Environmental Policy Making: Application to the Climate Change Debate in Europe." Click here for an abstract of the talk.

Other speakers will be scheduled soon; please continue to check this site.

Marsh Lectures

Thursday, October 8th

Thursday, November 5th

Wednesday, December 2nd

Thursday, February 4, 2010

Friday, February 19, 2010

Thursday, March 4, 2010

Thursday, April 1, 2010

Marsh Lectures

Reflections on Copenhagen: A Climate Accord with Discord Reconciling Incremental Progress with Frustration and Disappointment

Geospatial Data for Sustainability: Ensuring Universal Access

Socio-Technical Transition Initiative Lecture

Albert, Norma and Howard '77 Geller Endowed Lecture Series

Marsh Institute Distinguished Lecture

Spring 2009 Seminar Series

1/29

2/12

2/26

3/12

3/26

4/9

Marsh Lectures 2008