Last Week

Next Week

Events at Smith

'Confluence' by Amanda Maciuba
September 5 through October 16, 2024
Amanda Maciuba’s work is an exploration of the visible and invisible marks of human hands on the landscape. Her practice investigates human relationships with the environment over time, forefronting the impacts of human driven climate change. Confluence is a series of prints, artist’s books and installations that are inspired by the confluence of the Kaw and Missouri Rivers in Kansas City, Kansas, that has expanded to consider multiple points how water shapes human life and how our actions impact river environments in return throughout the United States. Monday-Friday, 8:30 AM - 4:30 PM. On view through October 17.
Oresman Gallery, Hillyer
8:30 am to 4:30 pm

Field Station Friday: Planting Perennials and Bouquet-Making
October 11, 2024
Kick off your fall break with a Friday afternoon planting perennials and making bouquets at MacLeish Field Station! Sign up at the link below.
More...
MacLeish Field Station - Meet at Sage Hall Circle
1:30 pm

Events Off Campus

Community Disaster Resilience: To What? For Whom?
October 10, 2024
Professor Susan Cutter at the University of South Carolina will deliver a Rachel Carson Distinguished Lecture via Zoom. Dr. Cutter is a Carolina Distinguished Professor of Geography at the University of South Carolina and co-director of the Hazards Vulnerability & Resilience Institute (HVRI). She has conducted pioneering research on vulnerability and resilience with specific reference to methods, models, and metrics. Her innovative work has significantly influenced hazard mitigation and disaster recovery policy and practice at local, state, national, and international levels. Her outstanding accomplishments have been recognized by numerous prestigious awards and honors. She was the recipient of her discipline’s highest awards: American Association of Geographers (AAG) Lifetime Achievement, Presidential Achievement, and the Wilbanks Award for Transformation Research. She received an honorary doctorate from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology. She is also an elected member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and the U.S. National Academy of Sciences, and an elected foreign member of the Royal Norwegian Society of Sciences and Letters.
More...
Webinar - register at link above
10:00 am

Lecture: Appealing for Local Control and Spatial Inequality: Reforming Governance and
October 10, 2024
Development Rationalities in Southern California presented by Alejandra Reyes. Several limitations have thwarted the implementation of California housing law for over fifty years. This research sheds light on the evolution of municipal-state relations at a period of reform by analyzing the contentious implementation of state housing law in Orange County, California, a region of concentrated affluence. Systemic privilege has historically allowed some jurisdictions to influence decision-making at higher levels, skewing housing policy and planning outcomes. Nonetheless, and despite contention between different government levels and localities, the leverage of reactionary local politics is weakening. State reforms, along increasingly diverse and mobilized constituents, are prompting slow but important policy change. This Zube Lecture is sponsored by the UMass Department of Landscape Architecture and Regional Planning.
UMass Amherst Design Building Lecture Hall (DB 170)
4:00 pm to 5:00 pm

Webinar: Ecology Careers Outside of Academia 2
October 15, 2024
Join us for the second session in our new series highlighting diverse career paths for ecologists outside of academia. We’ll feature informal, conversational interviews to provide insights and networking opportunities for students and mid-career professionals exploring alternative careers. This session includes Thomas Fitzgibbons from RRP Consulting Engineers, and Kevin Janni from GHD Consultants.
More...
Webinar - register at link above
2:00 pm

Repairing History: Boundless Kinship, Diasporic Indigeneity, and Impossible Archives
October 16, 2024
What can we learn from the enduring presence of a canoe older than the United States, anchored to the bottom of Lake Quinsigamond in Massachusetts today? What can we see by finding relationality between those whose lives and creations have been deemed "unarchivable,” "unrecognizable," and “unrepairable”? In this talk, Kohar Avakian reflects on the braided relationship between the submerged Nipmuc mishoon and the material creations featured in Boundless, an Indigenous art & literature exhibition at the Mead Museum in Amherst College, including her own community’s participation. Kohar Avakian is a Native, Black, and Armenian artist, visual storyteller, and scholar from Worcester, Massachusetts, the ancestral land of her tribe, the Nipmuc Nation, and home to one of the oldest Armenian communities in the U.S. She holds a B.A. in History, modified with Native American Studies, from Dartmouth College and is currently pursuing her Ph.D. in American Studies at Yale. As a descendant of genocide survivors still awaiting reparations, she has experienced the unparalleled power of learning about other peoples’ histories through their own eyes. This event is co-sponsored by the Amherst College Reckoning with Racial History Steering Committee and Frost Library Archives and Special Collections.
Aliki Perroti & Seth Frank Lyceum, CHI Think Tank - 101, Amherst College
4:30 pm

Events at Smith

Lazarus Center Career Fair
October 17, 2024
Connect with representatives from more than 70 organizations in various industries who are ready to recruit students for internships, entry-level positions, and graduate school opportunities. You'll have a chance to connect with employers, ask questions, discover new career opportunities, and more. More information is at the link below:
More...
ITT
3:30 pm to 6:00 pm

Field Station Friday: Mushroom Foray with Chuck Bayliss
October 18, 2024
Learn all about local mushrooms on this walk led by Ada student Chuck Bayliss! Sign up at the link below.
More...
MacLeish Field Station - Meet at Sage Hall Circle
3:45 pm to 6:30 pm

Career Communities Connect & Chat at CEEDS
October 21, 2024
Lazarus Center for Career Development’s Shawna McCoy, career specialist for the Education, Nonprofit, & Social Impact Career Community will be available to discuss possible career paths, internship ideas, career resources, and more. Drop by with your questions! Lunch provided.
CEEDS
12:15 pm

From Buddhism to Biogeochemistry, a journey to a career in sustainability
October 21, 2024
by Beth Hooker, Director of Sustainability & Administrative Director of CEEDS. Beth will share her career story, from where she started to where she is now. This talk is part of the ENX 100 Environment and Sustainability: Notes from the Field lecture series. All are welcome!
CEEDS
3:05 pm to 4:20 pm

Encountering Ndakinna: Abenaki History in Vermont and New Hampshire
October 21, 2024
This talk by Dr. Marge Bruchac highlights new research into deeply-rooted Indigenous histories in Vermont and New Hampshire, a region collectively known to Abenaki people as Ndakinna (“our homeland”). The seasonal and strategic flexibility of family bands and homesites in the region enabled communities to quickly relocate when climates changed or warfare threatened. The interventions of English settlements, French Catholic missions, and antiquarian historians have, however, confused the picture of the past. The talk features new research that highlights examples of Abenaki persistence and survivance, despite past and present attempts at erasure.
Seelye 201
6:00 pm

ES&P Lunchbag: Exploring Career Paths
October 22, 2024
Staff from the Lazarus Center for Career Development will lead an exploration of methods and resources for identifying job opportunities and career paths in environmental science and policy, go over graduate school options, key planning steps, and more. Lunch provided.
CEEDS
12:15 pm

Liberating Spirit: Community, Ritual, and Social Change in a World in Crisis
October 22, 2024
A panel discussion with Ann Beeson, Casper ter Kuile and Loretta Ross. Every day, we face multiple existential crises in our communities and on our planet – entrenched racism and white supremacy, poverty and extreme inequality, climate change, violence and war, and the demise of democracy. At the same time, civic and faith institutions are in decline and social justice activists are burning out. How do we reimagine what it will take to call a more just world into being? Join creative leaders at the intersection of social justice, spirituality and community engagement for an evening of dialogue and imagination.
Neilson Library 102
7:00 pm

6th Annual Smith Dining Sustainable Food Fair
October 23, 2024
We are proud to showcase our local partners, farmers and businesses. Learn more about the food purchased and served on campus. Sample ice cream, yogurt, honey, meats, apples, cider, and a host of other local food products! Great local partnerships = great food!
Campus Center Carroll Room
11:30 am to 1:30 pm

Events Off Campus

The importance of evidence and data to hold a spotlight on food systems
October 17, 2024
Professor Jessica Fanzo at Columbia University will deliver a Rachel Carson Distinguished Lecture via Zoom. Dr. Fanzo is a Professor of Climate and the Director of the Food for Humanity Action Collaborative at Columbia University’s Climate School in New York City. She has participated in various collective endeavors, including the Food Systems Economic Commission, the Global Panel of Agriculture and Food Systems for Nutrition Foresight 2.0 report, the Lancet Commission on Anaemia, and the EAT-Lancet Commissions 1 and now 2. She was also the Co-Chair of the Global Nutrition Report and Team Leader for the UN High-Level Panel of Experts on Food Systems and Nutrition. She currently leads the development of the Food Systems Dashboard and the Food Systems Countdown to 2030 Initiative in collaboration with the Global Alliance of Improved Nutrition. Professor Fanzo is an elected member of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences and was the first laureate of the Carasso Foundation’s Sustainable Diets Prize in 2012 for her pioneering research on sustainable food and diets for long-term human health.
More...
Webinar - register at link above
10:00 am

Power Shift: Keynote Conversation with Massachusetts Climate Chief Melissa Hoffer
October 21, 2024
Melissa Hoffer is Massachusetts’ first climate chief—the only state climate chief in the country. In this cabinet-level position, Hoffer is responsible for climate leadership across the whole of state government, leading the advancement of the commonwealth’s climate innovation, mitigation, adaptation, and resilience policies. A Day 1 political appointee in the Biden Administration, Hoffer served as acting general counsel and principal deputy general counsel of the Environmental Protection Agency. Previously, she was chief of the environmental Protection division and chief of the energy and environment bureau in the Massachusetts Attorney General’s office. Hoffer has also worked for the Conservation Law Foundation and as a litigator and environmental lawyer at WilmerHale. She holds a JD from Northeastern University School of Law, a certificate in environmental management from Tufts University, an MEd from the University of Massachusetts, and a BA from Hampshire College.
More...
In person in Cambridge or online - more info at link above
7:00 pm

UMass Amherst EV Ride & Drive
October 22, 2024
Don't miss this opportunity to engage with the future of electric vehicles (EVs) and sustainable transportation! Event Highlights: -EV Test Drives and Showcase: Experience the latest in EV technology with test drives and showcase of EVs. -E-Bikes: Explore and test ride electric bikes. -Interactive Exhibits: Discover advancements in EV technology and sustainable transportation solutions through interactive exhibits. -Food Trucks: Enjoy a variety of delicious options from local food trucks. All welcome!
UMass Transit Compound (185 Holdsworth Way)
10:00 am to 2:00 pm

An Introduction to Accessible Digital Communications
October 22, 2024
This training is a broad overview of how to ensure your digital communications of all mediums (e.g., documents, social media, webpage content, etc.) are accessible and compliant with federal law (i.e., Section 508). This is awareness-level training, because the topic is quite complex and too big to fit into a single hour. However, by the end, attendees will know the basics of how to comply with Section 508 technical standards; will know how to use automated tools to check for common accessibility failures; and will know where they can go to learn more specifics throughout their career. This session is being held as a training component of ESA's Science Communication in the Parks program and so will primarily be directed to SCIP Fellows, but all are welcome to attend.
More...
Webinar - register at link above
1:00 pm to 2:00 pm

Events at Smith

Geospatial internship student panel
October 24, 2024
Learn from fellow Smithies about their summer internships in GIS, mapping, and spatial data science! Students will report back on how they used GIS to promote health, to build up library archives and spatial histories, to study environmental and food justice, and more. RSVP at the link below:
More...
CEEDS, Wright Hall lower-level
4:15 pm to 5:15 pm

Family Weekend- Cider Pressing and Heirloom Apple tasting
October 26, 2024
Join CEEDS staff and students for this annual event! Stop by to taste the many flavors of this amazing fruit at our heirloom apple tasting. Then, experience the magic of turning apples into delicious fresh cider & enjoy a cup with a locally made cider donut! (We are part of the Davis Meadow Celebration, so plan to come by for a tasty lunch at one of our food trucks, too!)
Capen Drive, near Davis Meadow-- just off Prospect Street
10:00 am to 2:00 pm

ES&P Lunchbag: Putting Your Best Foot Forward
October 29, 2024
Lazarus Center staff members will lead an interactive exploration of how best to present your skills, knowledge and experiences when applying for positions of all kinds. Lunch provided.
CEEDS
12:15 pm

Presentation of the Major and minors
October 30, 2024
Interested in the environment and sustainability? Find out more about what it takes to major or minor in environmental science and policy or minor in marine science and policy. Meet faculty, staff, and students in the program, and get your questions answered! Lunch will be provided.
CEEDS
12:15 pm

Events Off Campus

Lecture: What Do Planners Need?
October 24, 2024
Presented by Camille Barchers & Henry Renski. Description to come. This Zube Lecture is sponsored by the UMass Department of Landscape Architecture and Regional Planning.
UMass Amherst Design Building Lecture Hall (DB 170)
4:00 pm to 5:00 pm

The Land Beneath Our Feet: Indian Removal, Crimes of State, and Public Memory
October 24, 2024
Claudio Saunt, Russell Professor at the University of Georgia and author of Unworthy Republic: The Dispossession of Native Americans and the Road to Indian Territory, explores why the United States deported 80,000 Native Americans in the 1830s and how online mapping can reinscribe their presence on the land.
Paino Lecture Hall, Beneski, 107. Amherst College
4:30 pm

Data Fusion for Marine Mammal Abundance
October 25, 2024
Marine mammals are increasingly vulnerable to human disturbance and climate change. Their diving behavior leads to limited visual access during data collection, making studying the abundance and distribution of marine mammals challenging. In theory, using data from more than one observation modality should lead to better informed predictions of abundance and distribution. With focus on North Atlantic right whales, we consider the fusion of two data sources: (i) aerial distance sampling which provides the spatial locations of whales detected and (ii) passive acoustic monitoring, returning calls received at hydrophones placed on the ocean floor. Due to limited time on the surface and detection limitations arising from sampling effort, aerial distance sampling only provides a partial realization of locations. With passive acoustic monitoring, we never observe numbers or locations of individuals. To address these challenges, we develop a novel thinned spatial point pattern data fusion. Our approach leads to improved inference regarding abundance and distribution of North Atlantic right whales throughout Cape Cod Bay, Massachusetts in the US.
More...
Webinar - register at link above
2:00 pm