The Water Institute is excited to announce its 2024-25 WaterTalks, a five-part speaker series designed to explore cutting-edge insights into today’s most pressing water challenges. This year’s lineup brings together leading experts who will share innovative approaches to water management, addressing complex issues like environmental risk, water contaminants, environmental justice, and advanced resource recovery.
Mark your calendars!
Whether you’re part of the campus community or the general public, you’re invited to join us for a mix of in-person and virtual lectures.
This speaker series offers an unparalleled opportunity to learn from and collaborate with some of the most prominent figures in water research. Don’t miss these world-class talks!
Save the dates: The series will run from 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. on the following dates, with a networking reception to follow each session.
Jacqueline MacDonald Gibson
Professor and Head, Department of Civil, Construction, and Environmental Engineering, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, US
Date: October 24, 2024
Time: 11:00a.m. - 12p.m.
Location: DC - William G. Davis Computer Research Centre - Room 1302
Expertise: Interdisciplinary research on environmental contamination risk quantification and policy option comparison for controlling environmental risks.
Belinda Sturm
Director, KS National Science Foundation EPSCoR, Professor and Ross McKinney Faculty Fellow, Civil, Environmental and Architectural Engineering, The University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas, US
Date: November 21, 2024
Time: 11:00a.m. - 12p.m.
Location: DC - William G. Davis Computer Research Centre - Room 1302
Expertise: Application of biological processes in environmental engineering, focusing on public health protection, sustainability, and microbial communities in water reclamation and resource recovery from municipal wastewater.
Dan Jaffee
Professor of Sociology, Liberal Arts and Sciences, Portland State University, Portland, Oregon, US
Date: January 23, 2025
Time: 11:00a.m. - 12p.m.
Location: Virtual
Expertise: Environmental sociology, rural sociology, globalization, food and agriculture, social movements, and political economy. Author of “Unbottled: The Fight against Plastic Water and for Water Justice”.
Ryan Emmanuel
Associate Professor of Hydrology, Co-Chair of Community Engagement and Environmental Justice, Environmental Sciences and Policy, Duke University, Durham, NC, US
Date: March 13, 2025
Time: 11:00a.m. - 12p.m.
Location: To Be Announced
Expertise: Hydrology, ecohydrology, biogeosciences, environmental justice, and Indigenous rights. Author of “On the Swamp: Fighting for Indigenous Environmental Justice”.
Nancy Love
Borchardt and Glysson Collegiate Professor and JoAnn Silverstein Distinguished University Professor, Civil & Environmental Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, US
Date: April 10, 2025
Time: 11:00a.m. - 12p.m.
Location: To Be Announced
Expertise: Evaluation, detection, and treatment of chemical and biological contaminants in water systems, and advancement of resource recovery technologies.