Hanley Sustainability Institute

By Mark Gokavi

University of Dayton faculty from several disciplines will discuss “Breaking Down Silos” during Global Climate Change Week. The event, which is open to the public and the University community, is from 5 to 6:30 p.m. Monday, Oct. 14, in the Sears Recital Hall inside the Jesse Philips Humanities Center.

"The purpose of Global Climate Change Week is to bring academic communities on the same platform and start a dialogue," said Umesh Haritashya. "This is one of those communities which has contributed immensely to understand climate change and prepare next generation students to come up with the action plan."

Haritashya, associate professor of geology and the Mann Chair in the Natural Sciences, will moderate the event, which will include presentations by faculty and audience questions about academic disciplinary influences. He said panel members will discuss their experiences, communicate the message and highlight a call to action.

Haritashya is an environmental geologist whose research focuses on understanding glacier surface processes and climate change impact on the high mountain glaciers. In the past decade, Haritashya and his group have received more than $3 million in research grants.

The panelists: Josh Heyne, assistant professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering; Barbara John, lecturer of economics and finance; Ben McCall, executive director, Hanley Sustainability Institute and professor of physics and chemistry; Chelse Prather, assistant professor of biology; and Anya Galli Robertson, assistant professor of sociology.

“Climate change doesn't belong to and cannot be solved by one discipline,” Haritashya said, expounding on the discussion’s title. “It may require some out-of-the-box ideas as well.”

The panel is sponsored by the Mann Chair in the Natural Sciences and Hanley Sustainability Institute.

For more information about sustainability-focused campus events, please visit the Hanley Sustainability Institute’s website.