Syllabus

2021 Dates and Speakers 

All sessions will be held on Tuesdays from 6:30 to 9 p.m. The Institute for Environmental Communication (IEC) will meet in Studio A, 4th floor of the Communications and Music Complex on the Loyola University New Orleans Campus (corner of St. Charles Avenue and Calhoun). We will try to make IEC available also on Zoom for those who cannot travel to New Orleans. You will be given much more information on how to access the IEC information before the opening session.

DATES BELOW ARE CORRECT - PARTICIPANTS, PUT THE DATES ON YOUR CALENDAR.  SPEAKERS & TOPICS MAY SHIFT A BIT as they match their calendars to IEC, but the topics will be similar to those posted.

 

August 31 - Introductory Workshop - Sets the stage for our discussions and helps us frame our approach. 

Robert A. (Bob) Thomas, Ph.D., Professor & Director, Center for Environmental Communication, Loyola University New Orleans

 

September 7 - Reporting on the Louisiana Environment

Mark Schleifstein, IEC Fellow 2011, Environment Reporter, nola.com/The Times-Picayune

Travis Lux, Coastal Desk Reporter, WWNO (NPR) Radio 

 

September 14 - Global Climate Change, Ozone Management, Global Challenges, Global Solutions & The Process of Science Behind the Scenes

Paul W. Barnes, Ph.D., Professor of Biological Sciences & Rev. John H. Mullahy, S.J., Endowed Chair in Environmental Science, Loyola University New Orleans

Robert A. (Bob) Thomas, Ph.D., Professor & Director, Center for Environmental Communication, Loyola University New Orleans

 

September 21 - Systemic environmental change: how do we stimulate it and how do our personal actions affect the path forward?

Robert A. (Bob) Thomas, Ph.D., Professor & Director, Center for Environmental Communication, Loyola University New Orleans

 

September 28 - Working topic: energy futures - what is possible and what is probable.

Josh Etkind, IEC Fellow 2018, Shell Oil Company [invited]

 

October 5 - Talkin' Coast, Talkin' Water, Talkin' Water Law, Talkin' Policy

Mark Davis, IEC Fellow 1999, Senior Research Fellow & Director, Tulane Institute of Water Resources Law & Policy

Elisa Speranza, President, Seventh Ward Strategies, LLC

 

October 12 - River diversions, the controversies that surround them, and how we define a path forward?.

TBD

 

October 19 - Environmental justice - how it operates and affects people today - what must we do to overcome

Arthur Johnson, IEC Fellow 2016, Center for Sustainable Engagement & Development

 

October 26 - TBD

 

November 2 -  Environmental Justice: Challenges in Louisiana.

 

November 9 -  "Cancer Alley:"  What we know, what we are told, and questions that need to be answered.

Suzanne C. Straif-Bourgeois, Ph.D., MPH, Associate Professor of Epidemiologhy, L.S.U. School of Public Health & Tumor Registry

Andy Jacoby, Esq., IEC Fellow 2018; Scott, Vicknair, Hair & Checki LLC

 

NOVEMBER 16 -  CLOSING GATHERING - DISCUSSION OF WHAT TRANSPIRED & THE PATH FORWARD

Robert A. (Bob) Thomas, Ph.D., Professor & Director, Center for Environmental Communication, Loyola University New Orleans & the Ascending Fellows 2020