NOVEMBER 2024

NEWS FROM THE SCHILLER INSTITUTE FOR INTEGRATED SCIENCE AND SOCIETY

WELCOME FROM LAURA J. STEINBERG

As we near the home stretch of the fall semester, I’m excited by the Institute’s lineup of events this week and in the weeks to come. Tomorrow we’ll have the first talk in our new Climate and Migration Lecture Series, which is co-sponsored by the Law School and the Global Ethics and Social Trust program. The public lecture by Liz Fisher is intended for a broad audience and she’ll share lessons learned over three decades of researching environmental regulation, presenting a more constructive and hopeful vision of scientific expertise and its place in democracy.

The following day danah boyd will discuss the challenges of pursuing responsible AI in a talk co-sponsored with the Lynch School. The week wraps up with entrepreneur and BC alum Phil Coupe speaking about the business case for abandoning fossil fuels. 

 

This week also marks the beginning of COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan. The Schiller Institute is leading BC’s fourth consecutive delegation to this highly influential, UN-sponsored meeting focused on global climate policy. We’re excited to once again offer the campus community the opportunity to interact with the delegation live through our Broadcasts from Baku events, which will take place this Wednesday and next. We’ll close the semester strong with the return of our Distinguished Lecture Series, featuring a talk on climatic risks to the carbon cycle—a talk that should interest anyone concerned about future life on our planet. 

 

We’ve also been taking the Institute on the road, engaging with local and global partners. I joined Institute Professor Yi Ming for his talk to PwC’s growing climate and sustainability team. Students from last year’s project-based course in Tanzania turned their in-country research into a set of policy recommendations and presented them to leadership staff at Zanzibar’s Blue Economy Ministry. More examples are included in the items below.

 

I welcome you to take advantage of the many opportunities to connect with the activities of the Schiller Institute, and I hope you have a wonderful finish to the fall semester.

 

Professor Laura J. Steinberg

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

Schiller Institute Distinguished Lecture Series »

Philippe Ciais, a leading authority in the fields of the carbon cycle and climate change, will present a lecture titled “Risks of destabilization of the carbon cycle” on Dec. 5 at 4 p.m. This public lecture is intended for a broad audience and we encourage students, faculty, and staff from a variety of disciplinary backgrounds to attend.  »

Climate and Migration Lecture Series »

Liz Fisher, professor of environmental law at Corpus Christi College, Oxford, will give a lecture titled “Geek Democracy: How to Be an ‘Expert’ in the Anthropocene” on Tuesday, November 12, at 12 p.m., with a lunch reception to follow. Please register.

Live recording of Discover BC podcast: Broadcasts from Baku »

Interact with BC’s COP29 delegation, live from Azerbaijan! Highlights will be edited into Discover Boston College podcast episodes. Join us in the Schiller Institute Convening Space (Room 501) on November 13 and November 20, 11 a.m. to 12 p.m.

Lecture by BC alum and clean energy entrepreneur »

Phil Coupe, co-founder of New England-based ReVision Energy, will give a lecture titled “Electrify Everything: The Business Case for Abandoning Fossil Fuels” on Thursday, November 14 at 10:30 a.m. Please register.

BC’s delegation has landed in Baku, Azerbaijan for COP29 »

An interdisciplinary delegation from Boston College is attending COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan. Supported by the Schiller Institute, these students, faculty, and staff have prepared for the global climate conference throughout the fall semester, and will share their experiences with the greater BC community through live dispatches from Baku and post-event panels and poster sessions. Read more.

Spring + Summer 2025: international project-based course opportunities »

Undergraduate students are invited to apply to either travel to Santiago, Chile, to be immersed in a community project or collaborate stateside with our community partners traveling from Zanzibar, Tanzania. Applications are due November 12. Learn more and apply for this two-course sequence.

New accelerated M.P.H. degree program announced »

Through a new partnership between BC’s Global Public Health and the Common Good program and Tufts School of Medicine, BC students may pursue a Master of Public Health degree as early as junior year. Read more.

Call for proposals for Graduate Research Symposium

All graduate students at Boston College are invited to submit a proposal for the symposium. Proposals are due December 15. The event, which is on March 26, is an opportunity for graduate students to gain experience submitting a research paper and presenting their findings in a public forum.

Core faculty attend Building the Climate Workforce Networking Lunch

Schiller Core faculty members Hanqin Tian and Yi Ming were invited to join executive leaders in Greater Boston, including Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey, at the Globe Summit 2024, the Globe’s flagship annual conference.

Steinberg speaks to Army human performance group

Seidner Family Executive Director Laura J. Steinberg appeared at DEVCOM Soldier Center in Natick, MA to kick-off the center’s speaker series featuring women in STEM leadership roles. The center’s mission is to provide the Army with innovative science and technology solutions to optimize soldier performance.

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