This fall, the Environmental Research Center at West Virginia University will host a seminar series covering topics related to responsible use of freshwater resources.
“There are a myriad environmental issues impacting the world and numerous environmental research interests at WVU,” said Jim Anderson, director of the Center and professor of wildlife and fisheries resources in the Davis College of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Design. “However, this year’s seminar series focuses primarily on promoting stewardship of water resources.”
The schedule of seminars is as follows:
• Laura Toran of Temple University will speak on “Using Hydrogeophysics to Understand Groundwater-Surface Water Interaction” at 3:30 p.m. Tues., Sept. 2, in 113 Mineral Resources Building. Toran is a professor and Weeks Chair in Environmental Geology in the Department of Earth and Environmental Science. Her research interests include karst hydrology, urban hydrology, groundwater-surface interaction, groundwater modeling, and radioactive waste and isotope geochemistry.
• John Gaudet, a writer and consultant, will speak on “If Africa Saves the Wetlands, the Wetlands will Save Africa” at 4:30 p.m. on Wed., Oct. 8, in 334 Percival Hall. Gaudet is a professional ecologist with a Ph.D. from the University of California at Berkeley and 33 years of experience in tropical ecology and environmental impacts and management of ecosystems. His book Papyrus, the Plant that Changed the World was published in 2014.
• Suzanne Gray of the Ohio State University will speak on “A Blurry Future? Consequences of Environmental Change for Fish Diversity” at 4:30 p.m. on Wed., Oct. 29, in 334 Percival Hall. Gray is an assistant professor in the School of Environmental and Natural Resources. Her research focus is African and North American fish integrates physiological and behavioral ecology to advance understanding of the generation, maintenance and conservation of aquatic biodiversity.
• James Salzman of Duke University will present “Drinking Water: The Past, Present, and Future” at 6 p.m. on Tues., Nov. 11, in the Law School Event Room. Salzman is the Samuel F. Mordecai Professor of Law and the Nicholas Institute Professor of Environmental Policy. He has written extensively on trade and environment conflicts, drinking water, environmental protection in the service economy, wetlands mitigation banking, and the legal and institutional issues in creating markets for ecosystem services. In 2012, he published Drinking Water: A History. His lecture is co-sponsored by the WVU Center for Energy and Sustainable Development.
The seminars are free and open to the public. Light refreshments will be served. For more information, contact Anderson at 304-293-3825 or Jim.Anderson@mail.wvu.edu.