Month: August 2021

Categories
Accolades Climate Change Faculty Spotlight Grants News Research

Three teams awarded GCC seed grants in fall 2021

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August 27, 2021

Each year, the Global Change Center (GCC), along with the Institute for Society, Creativity and the Environment (ISCE) at Virginia Tech, accept proposals from GCC faculty to support interdisciplinary research that will lead to collaborative proposals submitted to extramural funding sources. We seek projects that link multiple faculty programs and take advantage of unique combinations of expertise at VT, have societal implications and/or a policy component, deal with emerging global change issues that have regional significance, and have high potential to eventually leverage external resources.

Congratulations to the teams awarded GCC seed grants this fall![/vc_column_text][vc_separator style=”dotted”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/4″][vc_single_image image=”57268″ img_size=”large” alignment=”center” style=”vc_box_shadow_border_circle_2″][/vc_column][vc_column width=”3/4″][vc_column_text]

Coupling Social Science and Watershed Modeling to Improve Ecological Health of Streams in Agricultural Landscapes

INVESTIGATORS:

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Assessing the Potential of Bat Guano Accumulations as Ecosystem Archives in VA

INVESTIGATORS:

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Predictability of Virginia’s Coastal Aquifer Response to Sea-level Rise and Water Consumption for Hazard Assessment 

INVESTIGATORS:

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Categories
News

GCC Affiliate Wendy Parker contributes to Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report

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August 17, 2021

Scientists across the globe are witnessing unprecedented changes in the Earth’s climate that portend serious consequences if not immediately addressed. This was the clear message that The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) of the United Nations sent to policymakers in the 6th Assessment Report (AR6) released on August 9th, 2021. Although many of these changes have already begun, such as sea level rise and increases in extreme weather events, action can be taken to mitigate future devastation from climate change.

According to the IPCC Working Group I report, “Climate Change 2021: the Physical Science Basis”, immediate and robust reductions in emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2) and other greenhouse gases would limit climate change. This report supports the stance that human actions still have the potential to determine the future course of the earth’s climate.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/3″][vc_single_image image=”57216″ img_size=”1000×1000″ add_caption=”yes” alignment=”center” style=”vc_box_border”][/vc_column][vc_column width=”2/3″][vc_column_text]GCC Affiliate and Professor in the Department of Philosophy (COLAHS) Wendy Parker was one of the IPCC  scholars who volunteered their time to assess the published research that informs  the comprehensive report. Joining Virginia Tech as a Professor of Philosophy in August 2020, Parker studies the philosophy of science, with a focus on issues in climate science and meteorology. She is especially interested in how scientists use computational modeling to learn about global climate change and about the extent to which human are contributing to it. More broadly, Parker is interested in how scientific evidence is obtained, evaluated, and utilized by researchers and in the roles of science in public policy.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Parker directly contributed to two chapters of the AR6– Chapter 1: Framing, Context, Methods and Chapter 10: Linking Global to Regional Climate Change. Her contributions focused on the evaluation of scientific models and the roles of values, including social values, in science. “A number of philosophers of science are working on these topics,” Parker says. “It’s very exciting that climate scientists are finding some of this philosophical work to be relevant to their practice.” Joining the GCC in early 2021, Parker diversifies our expertise and bolsters the interdisciplinary mission of the Center.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_single_image image=”57200″ img_size=”large” add_caption=”yes” alignment=”center”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]When asked about her experience as a member the Working Group, Parker said, “It was an honor to be able to contribute to the report and inspiring to glimpse the tremendous cooperative effort that goes into producing it.” While her time working on the AR6 has concluded, Parker continues her service to the scientific community as Co-Editor-in-Chief of the British Journal for the Philosophy of Science and a member of the recently-formed US Climate Variability and Predictability Program’s (CLIVAR) Ocean Uncertainty Quantification Working Group.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_separator color=”sky” style=”shadow” border_width=”3″][vc_column_text]Parker teaches courses on the subjects of global and environmental ethics, models and simulation, and philosophical issues in climate science. She welcomes opportunities for research collaborations with faculty working in climate science, meteorology, and other environment-related sciences. Parker is also currently finishing a short book on philosophical issues in climate science. More information about her research and publications can be found on her website.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][/vc_column][/vc_row]

Categories
Announcements Blog GSO IGC

IGC GSO transitions to new officers for 2021-2022

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As we welcome in the newest officers of the IGC GSO, we also want to take a moment to thank all the officers who are finishing up their term. The IGC GSO exists to benefit the IGC community as a whole through student contributions to infrastructural, educational, and social investments and activities. Thank you, 2020-2021 officers, for all your contributions this past year.

Congratulations to our newest officers!

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Chloe Moore
President

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Alaina Weinheimer
Vice President

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Devin Hoffman
Secretary

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Josh Mouser
Treasurer

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Melissa Burt
Outreach Chair

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Rebecca O’Brian
Sustainability Officer

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Caleb O’Brien
Professional Development   Co-Chair

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Jennifer Brousseau
Professional Development   Co-Chair

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Isaac VanDiest
Social Chair

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Amanda Hensley
IG3C Co-Chair

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Tyler Weiglein
IG3C Co-Chair

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Lauren Maynard
DEI Chair

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Categories
News

Welcome new GCC team member, Lara Hopkins!

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August 16, 2021

 

We’d like to welcome Lara Hopkins as she joins the Global Change Center administrative team this month!  Lara will be helping out part-time through the fall semester as Global Change Center Program Coordinator, Jess Zielske, prepares to welcome a new addition to their family in September.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/3″][vc_single_image image=”57177″ img_size=”large” add_caption=”yes” alignment=”center” style=”vc_box_border”][/vc_column][vc_column width=”2/3″][vc_column_text]Lara Hopkins brings diverse expertise in science, art, and business to the Global Change Center.  She received a B.S. in Wildlife Biology and a M.Ed. in Secondary Science Education from Auburn University.  During her time at Auburn, she gained considerable experience conducting research on birds and small mammals, including endangered species.  After graduation, she continued research on endangered birds with the University of Georgia, and later assumed a leadership position with the Avian Conservation Center near Charleston, SC.  There she further pursued her passion for communicating science to the public and developed nationally respected educational programming on raptor biology and conservation.  Throughout her life, Lara has maintained a strong footing in the arts, from starting and running a successful photography business (with diverse clients such as local public schools & hospitals) to developing educational and marketing materials at all the NPOs and businesses she has worked.  To complement her art and science communication background, Lara also brings more than a decade of practical business management skills to the Global Change Center.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]

Welcome, Lara!

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Categories
Announcements Interfaces of Global Change IGEP Student Spotlight

GCC Faculty Affiliates Co-locate to Steger Hall to Create Novel Synergies

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August 10, 2021

The Fralin Life Sciences Institute is co-locating researchers from across three colleges at Virginia Tech to Steger Hall to foster interdisciplinary collaborations to tackle threats to the environment and society. Following in the footsteps of similar moves over the last year, the co-location will bring together innovative scientific minds to encourage innovative research.

The newest residents of Steger Hall include three affiliates of the Global Change Center (GCC): Todd Schenk (CAUS), Meryl Mims (COS), and Jacob Barney (CALS) Their research programs focus on various aspects of global change, including invasive animals and plants.  Invasive species pose significant risks to agriculture, natural resources, infrastructure, recreation, rural livelihoods, and human health. In the U.S. alone, invasive species cause more than $20 billion in damages each year. “One of the major strengths of the GCC is the way our community fosters rewarding collaborations from a range of disciplines on campus and beyond,” says Assistant Professor of Biological Sciences Meryl Mims. “As a lab, we are thrilled to join many of our GCC colleagues in Steger Hall and look forward to collaborations in a range of exciting areas, including the biology and policy of invasive species management in a rapidly changing world.”

“The latest strategic move of faculty into Steger Hall will bring together expertise from three colleges to build on current campus-wide momentum on invasive species.  Along with the recent co-location of expertise on climate change, ecological forecasting, and infectious disease in Steger Hall, we are building a diverse community studying these complex problems in the field, at the bench, and using advanced computational approaches,” said William Hopkins, associate executive director of the Fralin Life Sciences Institute and director of the Global Change Center.[/vc_column_text][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner][vc_column_text]

Todd Schenk Associate Professor of Urban Affairs and Planning, School of Public and International Affairs.

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Meryl Mims Assistant Professor of Biological Sciences, Department of Biological Sciences.

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Jacob Barney Associate Professor of Invasive Plant Ecology, School of Plant and Environmental Sciences.

[/vc_column_text][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/3″][vc_single_image image=”36744″ img_size=”300×300″ style=”vc_box_border”][/vc_column][vc_column width=”2/3″][vc_column_text]Jacob Barney’s research focuses on the processes and consequences of invasive plant species on our natural and managed ecosystems. In relation to global change, the Barney research group studies how invasive plants respond to novel climate scenarios, which may increase the number and distribution of habitats susceptible to invasion.  He is particularly interested in risk assessment as it pertains to reducing the risk of future invasions, and has applied this extensively in studying the risk of introducing exotic bioenergy crops. His research also focuses on identifying the impacts of invasive plants in a holistic manner to better understand the consequences to biodiversity and ecosystem processes. Jacob has also taught numerous courses on biological invasions and weed science, including workshops and lectures through the Virginia Tech Invasive Species Working Group. These include the “Biological Invasions: Confronting a Crisis” workshop and the “Advocacy, Science, and Policy of Invasive Species” graduate course which featured a trip to Washington D.C.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

Categories
Advocacy Blog Educational Outreach Environmental Justice Global Change IGC Interfaces of Global Change IGEP Outreach Research Student Spotlight

IGC Fellows engage in science policy action through the Virginia-Science Community Interface coalition

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August 3, 2021

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As conservationist Rachel Carson once said, “The human race is challenged more than ever before to demonstrate our mastery, not over nature, but of ourselves.”  This sentiment is even more important today in a world that is facing a climate crisis. Through the interdisciplinary graduate education program of the Global Change Center (GCC), Interfaces of Global Change (IGC) Fellows are trained to uphold the GCC mission: to advance interdisciplinary scholarship and education to address critical global changes impacting the environment and society. The program empowers students with tools to be successful in collaborative research and to engage the wider community as part of the solution to global environmental challenges. One way in which Fellows have fulfilled this mission is through the creation and development of the Virginia-Science Community Interface coalition.

Started in 2019, The Virginia Scientist-Community Interface (V-SCI) is a coalition of scientists and engineers who are dedicated to getting science into the hands of community members. The inception of V-SCI was based on the fact that, while community-driven advocacy and activism can often be backed up by science, this expertise is not always available for local issues. Thus their mission is to provide scientific expertise for community-driven activism and advocacy in Virginia and the region as an independent and volunteer-led organization. The work often involves cross-checking industry and government documents with scientific literature across multiple disciplines.

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We work at the interface between scientists and nonprofit, grassroots, and community leaders to provide expertise for local and regional advocacy issues.

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A number of IGC Fellows have co-authored reports, led projects, and given presentations as part of the coalition, including Isaac VanDiest, Daniel Smith, Joshua Rady, Kerry Gendreau, Alaina Weinheimer, and Tyler Weiglein. Together, they aim to empower communities to advocate for themselves. Reflecting on his experience with V-SCI, Isaac says, “My graduate program has taught me about global change in the classroom, and V-SCI has given me the opportunity to put skills to work in a real-world setting.” An added benefit to the coalition is that students from different universities across the Southeast are able to interact and address a diverse set of local and national issues. As Daniel says, “V-SCI has allowed me to broaden my knowledge of science and policy, and to immediately apply that knowledge to solve a problem. The consistency of the group meetings has helped me gain confidence in work outside of my direct area of research.”

Fellows recently shared their work through a presentation titled, “V-SCI: Connecting Science with Local Environmental Advocacy,” at the 6th Annual IGC Research Symposium this past spring. Additionally, Isaac, Daniel, Joshua, and Kerry are working to designate V-SCI as an official IGC IGEP capstone project and encourage other Fellows to join.

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The coalition has created multiple reports addressing local environmental efforts in the community such as the Mountain Valley Pipeline, LLC’s (MVP) proposal, the Eviction Crisis for Seniors in Virginia during the COVID-19 pandemic, and the Impact of the Atlantic Coast Pipeline on at-risk-species. Current projects that are actively recruiting volunteers include addressing industrial pollution in southwest Virginia, exploratory healthcare advocacy work, and protecting the candy darter. 

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Advancing their mission will require continued efforts from objective scientists who are interested in community advocacy. With over 100 graduate student members from 7 institutions in their growing network, V-SCI provides ample networking, leadership, and research opportunities. Currently, V-SCI is looking to recruit more members for ongoing projects this summer. The coalition welcomes individuals at all levels and from all backgrounds, both personally and professionally. No disciplinary knowledge related to the projects is expected and they are happy to provide mentorship.

The coalition also continually seeks feedback and reviews from senior scientists who support their mission. If you are interested in learning more about their work and how to get involved, V-SCI leaders hold open office hours every Friday at 1pm EST (zoom link here).

For more information, view the V-SCI Student Group Flyer, or contact info@viginiasci.org.  

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