Following the announcement of the new work Master’s degree in Climatology Columbia Climate School held its first-ever Climate School Showcase as part of its program. climate week.
The purpose of the showcase was to highlight the Climate School’s mission to partner with organizations outside of Columbia to build climate solutions. The half-day event was held at the Forum on Columbia University’s Manhattanville campus and was open to the public. The Forum’s glass walls are a metaphor for visibility and inclusivity.
“This showcase aims to highlight the Climate School’s cutting-edge research practices in climate science, finance and sustainability – a holistic approach. [the situation’s] That’s what Jeff Sherman, interim dean of the Columbia Climate School, told the packed room, kicking off a half-day panel discussion. However, research alone has its limits, he said, “The mission of the school, which was established at Columbia University for the first time in 25 years, is to develop solutions on a global scale, not only within the university, but also in partnership with stakeholders outside the university.” That’s what I do.” It’s the environment,” Sherman said.
The showcase format reflects this inclusive approach. To encourage open dialogue, panelists were seated at the same level as the audience, and interactions were encouraged between discussions. The atmosphere was serious and enthusiastic, but there were also frequent moments of levity. Ruth DeFreeze, Chief Academic Officer of the Climate School, set the stage for the first discussion, “Fundamentals: Climatology Scholarship, Education and Practice.” Looking at the all-female panel, she quipped, “There are some great male scientists in climate school, too.” We now have a visual note-taker to record all the ideas that emerge from the two panels in real time and to express the dynamic element of the collaboration taking place at the Climate School: the lively combination of research and action. did. Watch a time-lapse video of Notetaker in action. basics and action.
This panel served as an introduction to climate school and explored the “fundamental” knowledge that underpins academics at the school. Panelists ranged from ocean floor mapping (Vicki Fellini, Senior Research Scientist, Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory), Earth systems and sustainability (Ming-Fang Ting, Professor of Climatology) to AI and analysis (Kara Lam, Associate Research Scientist, from climate finance (Lisa Sachs, director of the Center for Sustainable Investment) to environmental justice (Sheila Foster, professor of climate science).
Each panelist not only discussed their own research, but also how each contributes to our collective knowledge of how to address the climate crisis. “Universities build knowledge, and that’s what we’re doing at the Climate School,” DeFreeze said. “But that’s not enough. We need to combine the foundational knowledge we’re building with our impact on the world to address this extraordinary challenge we face in climate change and other issues related to sustainability. Big challenges need to be addressed,” she added.
Minfang Ting, a professor of climate science at the Climate School, agreed with this opinion. We need to connect research with action, she said. “Understanding how we can take action, build infrastructure and respond to this type of crisis depends on understanding how the climate system evolves and what worst-case scenarios are expected. ” Sheila Foster, who trained as a lawyer and now studies how the climate crisis is impacting marginalized communities, said of New York City’s efforts. He spoke directly about issues that address the gap between research and action, as well as helped shape them. Equity and climate justice. “I think if you want to redesign a system or make it work better, you can do it from the outside as well as from the inside,” she said. “Having an external role like this around helping the university rebuild itself, around helping to rebuild the system, is a really strong reason to be at the university.”
After the break, the focus shifted to five. action collaborationSherman said this raises the question of “how can we translate knowledge into action?” and “enables the next generation of leaders to accelerate impact, bridge silos and enable real change.” The aim is to “nurturing”
Sandra Goldmark, associate dean for interdisciplinary initiatives, said these interdisciplinary teams are “grounded in a theory of change: how can we, as a university, move beyond our schools and make real change in the world?” “We want to break down more than just academic barriers.” We would like to cooperate not only with the Action Collaborative, but also with institutional, cultural, and political entities, and we look forward to your cooperation in this regard. ”
Each panelist spoke to one of the five behavioral collaborators. Food (Jessica Fanzo, Professor of Climatology and Director of the Food for Humanity Initiative). Water (Radley Houghton, Professor of Climatology). Built Environment (Kate Orff, Professor, School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation). (Michael Berger, Executive Director of the Sabin Center for Climate Change Law) The panel discussion was moderated by Johanna LaVecchio, Director of Impact Programs at the Climate School.
One of the themes that emerged, in addition to the need to build partnerships with organizations outside of the university, was the need to not only build communities around these action collaborations, but also engage directly with communities on the front lines of climate change. It was. “What do communities want? What answers do we need to foster more just, more inclusive, and more sustained resistance?” [to climate impacts]? ” Schlegelmilch said. “There really is no such thing as a worthless perspective.”
