Event Details

Speaker: Susan Caplow, Assoc. Professor and Department Chair, Earth, Environment and Society, St. Thomas University

Environmental advocates in Alabama face considerable challenges as well as exciting opportunities. On one hand, Alabama is #1 in the nation for freshwater biodiversity and features mountains, coastline, and everything in between. On the other hand, Alabama’s environmental treasures face significant threats from a lack of strong regulation, largely a symptom of significant political opposition to environmental protection. This presentation will weave together Dr. Caplow’s personal experiences with those of other environmental advocates in Alabama to describe the experience of being “green in a red state.” How does the political, physical, and cultural context shape strategies, motivations, goal setting, and collaboration opportunities for environmental advocates in Alabama?

Dr. Susan Caplow is an associate professor and department chair of Earth, Environment, and Society at the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, MN. She recently assumed this role after 10 years as environmental studies program and sustainability coordinator at University of Montevallo in Alabama. She received her Ph.D. in Environment and Ecology from UNC-Chapel Hill, her M.Sc. in Environmental Sciences and Policy from Central European University, and her B.A. in Public Policy Analysis/Biology from Pomona College. Dr. Caplow’s teaching and research explore the interface between humans and the environment, focusing in particular on sustainability, policy, education, and project-based learning.

Refreshments provided.