Tulane ByWater Institute hosts coastal research workshop
September 24, 2019 2:00 PM
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Faculty, deans and senior administrators gather to discuss coastal and urban research. (Left to right) Margarita Jover, associate professor in Tulane's School of Architecture; Laura Murphy, clinical associate professor of Global Community Health & Behavioral Sciences in Tulane's School of Public Health and associate director of Research & Scholarship at Tulane's Taylor Center; Sunshine Van Bael, associate professor of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology; Kyle Straub, associate professor of Earth and Environmental Sciences. (Photo by Sally Asher)
The Tulane ByWater Institute recently hosted 40 faculty, deans, and senior administrators at the Tulane River and Coastal Center, located on the Mississippi River in downtown New Orleans, to discuss Tulane’s leadership in coastal and urban resilience research and programming.
Faculty from across the university showcased their research and community engagement work that explores the resilience of coastal ecosystems and communities. This group identified opportunities and barriers for greater coordination and cooperation among the many experts at Tulane who focus on the sustainability of New Orleans and coastal Louisiana. Coastal regions are facing multifaceted problems—such as infrastructure decline, spread of tropical disease, human migration, and ecological disturbance—in the face of climate change and sea level rise. Through collaborative research initiatives in our region, Tulane is uniquely positioned to generate high impact research to support coastal communities worldwide to adapt and respond to environmental change.
“Coastal cities and ecosystems are facing unprecedented challenges that will require different ways of thinking, planning, and acting. Tulane is committed to being a leader in that effort, and this research convening led by the ByWater Institute is a great example of how we are doing that,” said Giovanni Piedimonte, Tulane vice president for research.
The ByWater Institute advances applied, interdisciplinary research and community engagement initiatives around coastal resilience and the urban environment. Reporting to the vice president for research, the Institute is uniquely positioned to catalyze this research by building networks of scholars that cross school and departmental boundaries.
The meeting was the first of several planned to build capacity within Tulane and develop strategic external partnerships. All faculty who do coastal and urban research are invited to join the initiative. Email bywater@tulane.edu for details about the next event.