College of the Environment Seminar Series

The UW College of the Environment’s Inaugural Seminar Series kicks off on Tuesday, March 6 at 4:30 p.m. in the Fishery Sciences Building 102 Auditorium. To reserve your seat, please register here.

The Goal of this Seminar Series

• To create a venue for UW College of the Environment (COENV) faculty and students to discuss key interdisciplinary environmental issues.
• To provide a place for COENV faculty and students to interact, learn from each other, and to build community.
• To encourage joint research and education efforts among the groups at the UW COENV.
• To provide a venue for discussion, followed by refreshments, to encourage more informal conversations.

The Inaugural Seminar – West Coast Wildfires:  What are the Key Scientific Issues?

After a year of major wildfires from British Columbia to southern California, with dozens of deaths and damage in the tens of billions of dollars, western wildfires are clearly one of the key environmental issues for the region. Join us for the inaugural All-College Seminar to explore what we know regarding the origins of the problem and discuss some of the key scientific, technical, and societal issues that must be addressed.

We will begin at 4:30 in the SAFS Auditorium with 3 short presentations by College of the Environment scholars on the topic of West Coast Wildfires!

· Dr. Susan Prichard, SEFS and USDA Forest Service will discuss how forest fuels can be managed to reduce fire risk.

· Professor Cliff Mass, Atmospheric Sciences, will discuss the relationships between weather and fire.

· Professor Brian Harvey, SEFS will discuss how climate interacts with fire and other disturbances to shape western forest ecosystems.

After a spirited discussion, at 5:40 we will retire to the SAFS lobby for drinks, appetizers, and dialog.

For more information on the College Council’s plans to begin a College-wide seminar series check out:
https://atmos.washington.edu/~cliff/COENV%20Seminar%20Series.html