EnviroThursday Fall 2020
Presentations take place on Zoom from 11:45-12:45 pm
September 17, 2020
“Observing the Observer: Challenging the Madelorian Ethic of University Interventions in Disasters”
Speakers: Dr. Marla Perez Lugo and Dr. Cecilio Ortiz Garcia, Hubert Humphrey Distinguished Visiting Professors, Macalester Environmental Studies Department
Hurricane Maria ravaged the archipelago of Puerto Rico in September of 2017. Almost immediately, dozens of universities from all over the United States descended over Puerto Rican soil with various purposes. Some of them were doing research, others were engaging in service learning activities, and the rest were using the disaster as their classroom to enrich the experience of their students. In that context, local scientists had the rare opportunity of “observing” the “observers” and to examine the highly extractive, arelational, apolitical and unjust ethic of university interventions in disasters that replicated a colonial science model. This talk presents the observations of two local academics and the conceptual pillars of what later became the RISE-Network, an interuniversity convergence platform that seeks to change the paradigm of university interventions in disaster towards a more just, culturally sensitive and locally aware new architecture of relationships.
Dr. Marla Perez Lugo and Dr. Cecilio Ortiz Garcia are professors of sociology and political sciences respectively at the University of Puerto Rico-Mayaguez. Their work revolves around the issues of energy justice, governance and democracy and more recently on knowledge and transitions management. Dr. Perez Lugo and Dr Ortiz Garcia are co-directors of the Puerto Rico’s National Institute for Energy and Island Sustainability and co-founders of The RISE Network.
October 8, 2020
“2020-2021 Smail Gallery Exhibition Opening: Resilience”
Resilience draws on student visions of resilience in action over the last seven months. It features images of pain, rage, and hope from a historic spring and summer from 14 Macalester students scattered across the country. The exhibition runs through August 31, 2021, in the Smail Gallery on the second floor of Olin-Rice.
Featuring work by Long Nguyen ’21, Pallavi Shoroff ’22, Zarra Marlowe ’21, Vanisa Senesathith ’21, Tenzin Dothar ’21, Priya Baumann ’22, Anya Lindell Paulson ’21, Noah Davidson ’23, Natalie Parsons ’23, Gabriela Diaz ’24, Zahra Jumani ’23, Maya Sobchuk ’22, Celia Johnson ’22, and Christian Martinez ’23.
This project was envisioned by Prof. Roopali Phadke and curated by Kori Suzuki ’21 with help from Eric Carroll, assistant professor of art, photography and design.