News from Schiller Institute, November 2022

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NOVEMBER 2022

 

NEWS FROM THE SCHILLER INSTITUTE FOR INTEGRATED SCIENCE AND SOCIETY

WELCOME FROM LAURA J. STEINBERG

 

Greetings! As our students approach the end of the semester, the Schiller Institute for Integrated Science and Society is moving full steam ahead. We hosted our first two faculty mixers with a third scheduled on November 28. The research of our inaugural cohort of Schiller seed grant recipients was spotlighted in the first of four scheduled symposia, with the second scheduled for November 21.

You may find the newsletter’s feature on Associate Professor of History Ling Zhang to be of interest. It follows her on a very personal research journey to the center of China’s hydropower-producing region. An important part of the Schiller Institute’s mission is to meld the humanistic with the scientific; in this issue we are proud to announce the appointment of the first Schiller Poet Laureate, BC first-year undergraduate Jesse Julian. Jesse will comment throughout the year on institute goings on.

The Schiller Institute has also been busy managing the University’s involvement in the UN Climate Change Conference. Our 20 delegates will soon be returning from Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt, where they represented the University at COP27, and are eager to share their experiences with the BC community. Writers Ed Hayward and Stephanie McPherson help us understand how the delegates prepared for this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

We hope you will join us at our upcoming events. As always, if anything in this issue resonates with you or you would like to discuss your ideas about collaborating in our focus areas of energy, environment, and health, please be in touch. We are always on the lookout for partnerships to serve the common good.

Professor Laura J. Steinberg

Seidner Family Executive Director, Schiller Institute for Integrated Science and Society

 

UPCOMING EVENTS »

 

Lacee Satcher

Michael Glass

Laura Hake

Reverend Vernon K. Walker

SCHILLER-UGBC ENVIRONMENTAL RACISM PANEL »

November 29, 6:00–7:00 p.m.

In partnership with Undergraduate Government of Boston College (UGBC) student leaders, the Schiller Institute is presenting an expert panel on environmental racism on 11/29, 6–7 p.m., in the Schiller Institute Convening Space (Room 501 in 245 Beacon). The interdisciplinary, cross-organizational panel includes BC faculty Lacee Satcher (Sociology), Michael Glass (History), and Laura Hake (Biology), and the Reverend Vernon K. Walker, program director of Communities Responding to Extreme Weather (CREW). Register here. 

 
 

SCHILLER RESEARCH SYMPOSIA »

These feature our grantees in themed fora that foster connections and promote future collaborations. We have three upcoming: Health and Well-Being (Mon., 11/21, 3:30–5:30 p.m.); Climate Change and Clean Energy (Thu., 1/19, 3:30–5:30 p.m.); Communications, Education, and Public Engagement (Thu., 1/26, 10:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m.). All students, faculty and staff are invited. Register here. »

 

CLIMATE CHANGE SEMINARS »

Funded by Schiller, the climate change series provides opportunities for faculty and special guests to present cutting-edge research with robust interactions following each talk. The most recent seminar featured Jesse Jenkins of Princeton University, who discussed “How the USA Can Reach Net Zero 2050.” Spring 2023 seminar schedule. »

 

FACULTY MIXER »

Even within the tight-knit BC community, making connections with other scholars who share research interests is challenging. These social events are lightly structured to facilitate connections and catalyze new collaborations. Register for our next mixer: Health, Food Insecurity, and Environmental Pollution on Mon., 11/28, 4 p.m., in the Schiller Convening Space.

 

GLOBAL ENGAGEMENT PORTAL »

The gold shipping container known as the Global Engagement Portal will return to O'Neill Plaza from November 28 to December 7, and we’re partnering with the International Studies Program on multiple climate-focused sessions. Please register for the climate sessions by clicking here, and visit the Portal website to learn about all of the sessions.

 

NEWS AND FEATURES FROM THE SCHILLER INSTITUTE

 

BC delegation at COP27 »

For the second year in a row, Boston College sent a delegation of 20 faculty and students to observe the United Nations Climate Change Conference, also known as COP27. The conference began on November 6 and is in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt. Read more »

 

Schiller Institute brings international climate engagement to campus through COP27 »

The cohort attending COP27, selected by a Schiller-supported committee, has been engaging the greater Boston College community through social media posts and weekly dispatches detailing their experiences. The institute prepared the cohort through pre-trip meetings and a one-credit course, and has been engaging the community with events before and during the conference, with plans for additional events following the conference. Read more »

 

Collaboration explores the possibility of equitable building of dams in China »

Ling Zhang, associate professor of history, and Noah Snyder, professor and department chair of Earth and Environmental Sciences, both study water and how it has been affected by environmental changes throughout history. Now these two water scholars have come together to study hydropower in 20th century China, funded by a Schiller Institute Grant for Exploratory Collaborative Scholarship (SIGECS). Read more »

View all Schiller news
 

NEWS FOR THE SCHILLER COMMUNITY

 

Inaugural Schiller Institute Poet Laureate 

We are proud to announce the appointment of inaugural Schiller Institute Poet Laureate Jesse Julian. Jesse is a first-year student at BC. A talented writer, she recently won the Schiller prize at the Constitution Day event we co-sponsored with the Clough Center. Read Jesse’s biography on our Meet the Team page.

 

Event recap: On the Road to Sharm El-Sheikh: BC@UNCOP Series

As part of the Schiller Institute's role in managing BC’s involvement in the UN Climate Change Conference, we hosted a public talk by New York Times climate reporter Somini Sengupta and a featured faculty panel which discussed the issues on the table and those that should be on the table at UN COP27. View the video on our BC@UNCOP page.

 

Celebrating 245 Beacon Street  

In September, hundreds of Boston College trustees, benefactors, faculty, staff, and students celebrated the formal unveiling of the Schiller Institute’s new home, 245 Beacon Street. The evening featured a keynote address by Nobel Prize-winning economist Paul Romer, a panel showcasing institute faculty, and presentations by faculty and students. Read more »

 

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Schiller Institute for Integrated Science and Society

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