School of Arts and Sciences
Environmental Studies Program

Hoch Cunningham Environmental Lectures

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When: Thursdays from 12:00-1:00pm    
Where: Multi-purpose Room, Curtis Hall, Medford Campus (except for Keynote Lecture)

Every week during the academic year, the Hoch Cunningham Environmental Lectures feature speakers from government, industry, academia, and non-profit organizations to give presentations on environmental topics. This is a great opportunity to broaden your knowledge beyond the curriculum, meet other faculty and students, and network with the speakers.

Students, faculty, staff, and members of the community are welcome to attend.

The Hoch Cunningham Environmental Lectures are made possible thanks to the generosity of Daphne Hoch-Cunningham J82, A18P and Roland Hoch A85, A19P.

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We will continue with a hybrid format this year, so although speakers will speak on campus, viewers may tune into a livestream. Use the "Online Viewer Registration" link below each date to register via Zoom. You may also get the livestream registration by subscribing to our HoCu newsletter or sending an email to: environmentalstudies@tufts.edu.  
 

Fall 2024 Lecture Schedule

To celebrate our 40th anniversary, our program is bringing Tufts alumni as most of our speakers this semester, so come join us!

Fall 2024 Lecture Information

  Systems Leaders in the 21st Century: Why Environmental Literacy Matters

Speaker: Saleem H. Ali, A94, Blue & Gold Distinguished Professor of Energy and the Environment, University of Delaware

Thursday, September 5, 2024 | 12-1 pm EST 
Location: Alumnae Lounge (40 Talbot Ave, Medford, MA 02155) 
Lecture Recording – Sep. 5

In a world with so many different learning opportunities and specializations, it is becoming easier to just focus on one's own particular preferences for knowledge. However, our planet is a complex adaptive system and in order for us to succeed as leaders, we need to make the connections between fields and become "systems leaders." Understanding the fundamental laws of nature is essential and they should be the foundation on which social and political order is conceived and developed.

Saleem Ali will provide insights from his acclaimed book Earthly Order: How Natural Laws Define Human Life to suggest how we can lead in connecting natural order to social, economic and political order. His book has received endorsements from leaders as far afield as a Nobel laureate in chemistry, the former environment minister of Brazil and the Chief Environment Officer of Microsoft Corporation. The lecture will be of interest to a wide audience across campus and celebrates the 40th anniversary of the Environmental Studies Program at Tufts.

This lecture is sponsored by Environmental Studies in collaboration with the Chemistry Department.

Saleem H. Ali

Saleem H. Ali, A94, is a Chair of the Department of Geography and Spatial Sciences and the Blue & Gold Distinguished Professor of Energy and the Environment at the University of Delaware (USA). He also serves as Lead for Critical Metals and Inclusive Energy Transitions at the United Nations University's Institute for Water, Environment and Health and is a member of the United Nations International Resource Panel. Before embarking on an academic career, Prof. Ali worked as an environmental health and safety professional at General Electric Corporation. Born in New Bedford, Massachusetts (USA), Dr. Ali grew up in Lahore, Pakistan until his college years, receiving his Bachelor's degree in Chemistry and Environmental Studies from Tufts University (summa cum laude), and his Masters and PhD degrees in environmental policy and planning at Yale and MIT, respectively. His laurels include being a National Geographic Explorer, with field experience in more than 160 countries and all continents; being selected as a “Young Global Leader” by the World Economic Forum and serving on the boards of notable non-profit charitable organizations including RESOLVE, The Science Diplomacy Center and Adventure Scientists. Dr. Ali's books include Soil to Foil: Aluminum and the Quest for Industrial Sustainability (Columbia University Press) Earthly Order: How Natural Laws Define Human Life (Oxford Univ. Press) and Treasures of the Earth: Need, Greed and a Sustainable Future (Yale Univ. Press). Dr. Ali is a citizen of the United States of America by birth; Pakistan by parental lineage; and Australian by naturalization.

  Tackling Carbon, Resilience, and Ambivalence: Lessons Learned From One Decade in Sustainable Architecture

Speaker: Elaine Hoffman, A10, Director of Sustainability at Good Clancy

Thursday, September 12, 2024 | 12-1 pm EST 
Location: Curtis Hall Multipurpose Room (474 Boston Avenue, Medford, MA) 
Lecture Recording – Sep. 12

Elaine will share reflections on how sustainability and architecture have changed in the ten years since she entered practice, focusing on the evolution of carbon and resilience conversations. She will discuss her work on higher education campuses and the critical role these spaces and institutions play in driving progress towards a more sustainable future. Elaine will delve into the integrative design process to share insights into both the benefits and challenges of interdisciplinary collaboration on project teams. She will also lay out challenges the architecture/engineering/construction industry face in the next decade, highlighting skillsets that the industry must expand to meet emissions targets and other environmental goals successfully.

Elaine Hoffman

Elaine Hoffman, A10, is a Director of Sustainability at Goody Clancy, a Boston-based architecture firm focused on higher education. Her multi-headed role at Goody Clancy involves project-based design roles working on envelope design and carbon impact as well as leading firmwide efforts across all project teams to advance sustainability goals, improve workflows and outcomes, and strengthen decision-making practices. Elaine engages in practice-based research on building science topics. She has been a certified Passive House Consultant with the Passive House Institute U.S. (PHIUS) since 2017. Through her projects, she works with clients to understand their sustainability priorities and rigorously translate them into design. Her background in environmental studies expands project issues into bigger conversations about sustainable design, including energy and water consumption, and the life-cycle impacts of our buildings on the natural environment.

  Mounting Risks to Wetlands: A Journalist’s Perspective

Speaker: Miranda Willson, A17, Journalist at E&E News

Thursday, September 19, 2024 | 12-1 pm EST 
Location: Curtis Hall Multipurpose Room (474 Boston Avenue, Medford, MA) 
Lecture Recording – Sep. 19

For decades, environmentalists, homebuilders, energy companies and members of Congress have debated how the U.S. should regulate and protect wetlands. From bogs to saltmarshes to cypress swamps, wetlands help reduce damage from floods, shelter endangered species and filter pollutants to keep our drinking water safe. Last year, the Supreme Court ruled that a large swath of wetlands nationwide are not covered by the Clean Water Act, leaving over half the nation’s wetlands unprotected by the law. In this lecture, Miranda Willson will discuss what’s at stake as U.S. wetlands continue to be filled in for development, and how the high court ruling could accelerate what scientists view as an alarming trend of wetlands loss. She will also dive into a wetlands restoration debate in Louisiana on which she recently reported and explain how she covers water issues for an audience of lawmakers, scientists, oil industry executives, NGOs and many others.

This lecture is sponsored by Environmental Studies in collaboration with the Department of Biology and the Center for Interdisciplinary Studies.

Miranda Willson

Miranda Willson, A17, is a reporter at E&E News, a subscription-based environmental news site run by Politico. She covers water policy, including EPA regulations and water debates and bills in Congress. She also reports on how the courts are shaping water law, the threat of drinking water contaminants like PFAS, and the impacts of water pollution and climate change on communities nationwide.

Previously, she covered energy policy for E&E News, with a focus on the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission – the most important climate agency you’ve probably never heard of. She also worked for a year and a half as a local news reporter in Las Vegas. Born and raised in suburban New York, Miranda graduated from Tufts in 2017 with a degree in environmental studies and urban planning, a major she self-designed. She lives in Washington, D.C.

  Managing the Massachusetts Energy and Environmental Affairs Budget

Speaker: Caroline Higley, A16, Chief Financial Officer, Energy and Environmental Affairs at Commonwealth of Massachusetts

Thursday, September 26, 2024 | 12-1 pm EST 
Location: Curtis Hall Multipurpose Room (474 Boston Avenue, Medford, MA) 
Lecture Recording – Sep. 26

The Massachusetts Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs (EEA) seeks to protect, preserve, and enhance the Commonwealth’s environmental resources while ensuring a clean energy future for the state’s residents. In 2007, Massachusetts became the first state in the nation to combine all environmental and energy agencies under one Cabinet Secretary – setting an example to recognize the interrelated missions of these agencies.

Accomplishing statewide environmental, energy, climate, and justice and equity goals requires a strategic and creative distribution of resources. This talk will explore EEA’s budget by discussing where its funding comes from and how those funds are allocated.

Caroline Higley

Caroline Higley, A16, is the Chief Financial Officer for the Massachusetts Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs. In her role, she oversees over $1 B across multiple funding sources within the Executive Office and across the six energy and environmental affairs agencies, including the Departments of Environmental Protection, Conservation and Recreation, Fish and Game, Agricultural Resources, Energy Resources, and Public Utilities. 

Caroline has spent her career working for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in various policy and fiscal roles. Previously, Caroline served as an Assistant Secretary for Environment, Strategic Initiatives, and Agency Coordination, in which she developed strategy, implemented process improvements, and managed environmental policy projects on topics that included mosquito control, PFAS, dam safety, clean transportation, and environmental justice. In addition, she served as a Fiscal Policy Analyst and Assistant Budget Director in the Executive Office for Administration and Finance, where she supported management of the Commonwealth’s then-$40 B operating budget. 

Caroline holds a BA in environmental studies and psychology from Tufts University.

  The Complexities of Community-Led Climate Solutions From an Outsider

Speaker: Andrea Savage, A06, Campaign Manager at Union of Concerned Scientists

Thursday, October 3, 2024 | 12-1 pm EST 
Location: Curtis Hall Multipurpose Room (474 Boston Avenue, Medford, MA) 
Lecture Recording – Oct. 3

From forest conservation and river restoration in Papua New Guinea and Mexico to reducing health and climate harming pollution from vehicles in the US freight system, Andrea Savage wrestles with unexpected tensions in community-led solutions to climate change, but often as an outsider. What happens when different communities want a different solution to the same problem? What if that solution is taboo, like hydrogen fuel cell trucks to improve public health in a community, or an indigenous community selling forest carbon offsets to reduce deforestation? Or what do you do when a community-based climate solution in one part of the world risks harming communities in another part of the world? Join Andrea in exploring the lessons and tensions related to supporting bottom-up solutions in a world that’s mostly top-down.

This lecture is sponsored by Environmental Studies in collaboration with the Department of Political Science.

Andrea Savage

Andrea Savage, A06, is a Campaign Manager for the Clean Transportation Program at the Union of Concerned Scientists – a science-based advocacy group. In her role she collaborates with analysts and policy experts to lead UCS’s campaign to eliminate emissions from vehicles in the US freight system. Andrea leverages UCS’s activist and scientists networks while partnering with national and regional coalitions and environmental justice groups to advance community centered and scientifically rigorous policy solutions.

Starting in 2008, Andrea began her career leading climate initiatives in Papua New Guinea and Mexico that focused on strengthening ecosystem and community resilience. As a program manager for groups such as the Clinton Foundation and EcoLogic Development Fund, she oversaw local and regional initiatives that partnered with local scientists, and community and indigenous groups to design community driven solutions that protect ecosystems, overcome inequitable power dynamics, and strengthen climate resilience. Andrea is a Kinship Conservation Fellow. She completed a BS in political science at Tufts University, and a MA in Sustainable International Development at the Heller School for Social Policy and Management at Brandeis University.

  The Sacred Waters of Blake Plateau: When Ocean Conservation Meets Cultural History

Speaker: Valerie Cleland, A15, Senior Ocean Advocate at Natural Resources Defense Council

Thursday, October 10, 2024 | 12-1 pm EST 
Location: Curtis Hall Multipurpose Room (474 Boston Avenue, Medford, MA) 
Lecture Recording – Oct. 10

Offshore of the Southeastern U.S. lies an extraordinary undersea plateau that hosts the largest deep-sea coral province on earth – the Blake Plateau. It is home to an incredible array of ocean life, from a living seafloor of deep-sea corals, anemones, and sponges to a diverse assemblage of sea turtles, sportfish, seabirds, and whales. In a rapidly warming world, some of these ancient reefs may be among the most resilient in the U.S. to global change.

Blake Plateau is not only home to amazing marine life, it also holds significant cultural and historical meaning to the Gullah/Geechee people. This is a story of unique coalitions coming together and all that can happen when we do. This talk will explore why we must conserve Blake Plateau—for the marine life and people who rely on it — before industry can harm this special place.

This lecture is sponsored by Environmental Studies in collaboration with the Department of Biology and the International Relations Program.

Valerie Cleland

Valerie Cleland, A15, a senior manager, advocates for policies that protect and restore our oceans at the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC). NRDC combines the power of more than 3 million members and online activists with the expertise of some 700 scientists, lawyers, and other environmental specialists to confront the climate crisis, protect the planet's wildlife and wild places, and to ensure the rights of all people to clean air, clean water, and healthy communities.

Prior to joining NRDC, Cleland was a NOAA Sea Grant Knauss Marine Policy Fellow in the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation where she worked to develop, analyze, and guide oceans legislation through the committee process. She originally hails from the Pacific Northwest where she worked as an environmental scientist on marine and aquatic projects for a small environmental firm and taught sea kayaking. Cleland received her bachelor’s in environmental studies and international relations at Tufts University (A15) and received a master's of marine affairs from the University of Washington.

  Climate Action: Equitable Resilience Solutions

Speaker: Joyce Coffee, A93, Founder and President of Climate Resilience Consulting

Thursday, October 17, 2024 | 12-1 pm EST 
Location: Curtis Hall Multipurpose Room (474 Boston Avenue, Medford, MA) 
Lecture Recording – Oct. 17

Yesteryear’s strategies are not suitable for a climate-changed future. From Wall Street to Main Street, the world still needs a giant leap in climate ambition. In addition to greenhouse gas mitigation, leaders are seeking new solutions to address growing physical climate impacts from extreme heat to river flooding, wildfires to drought, coastal storms to sea level rise. The climate action vanguard includes collaborative solutions for a resilient future for America’s communities. From risk assessment – turning science to action to improve outcomes to resilience – implementing urban solutions from affordable housing, public health, and land use to policy change, financial drivers and migration, there are opportunities for every sector to be part of creating safety, stability and security in the face of climate change disruption.

Joyce Coffee

Joyce Coffee, LEED AP, A93, is a founder and President of Climate Resilience Consulting, a social enterprise that works with clients to create practical and equitable strategies that enhance markets and communities through adaptation to climate change. 

Coffee has 25 years of leadership experience in government, private, nonprofit, philanthropic and academic sectors. She has worked with over 300 institutions to create and implement climate-related resilience initiatives. Specific areas of emphasis include resilience strategy, resilience finance, resilience measurement and social equity. She is an appointed director or chair of 25 nonprofit boards and initiatives, including the vanguard Anthropocene Alliance. She received a B.S. in biology, environmental studies and Asian studies from Tufts University and a Masters in city planning from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where she sits on the visiting committee.

  Accelerating the Transition to Zero-Emission Transportation

Speaker: Jordan Stutt, A11, Senior Director at CALSTART Northeast Region

Thursday, October 24, 2024 | 12-1 pm EST 
Location: Curtis Hall Multipurpose Room (474 Boston Avenue, Medford, MA) 
Recorded Lecture – Oct. 24

Transportation is the largest source of climate pollution in the US, the Northeast, and Massachusetts. Jordan Stutt will discuss how innovative technologies, policies, business models, and partnerships are supporting the shift away from gas and diesel powered vehicles.

This lecture is sponsored by Environmental Studies in collaboration with the International Relations Program.

Jordan Stutt

Jordan Stutt, A11, is the Senior Director, Northeast Region at CALSTART. In this role, he drives strategy, shapes policy, and manages implementation of innovative clean transportation projects in the Northeast. Jordan works closely with CALSTART experts, member companies, and communities across the region to accelerate the transition to zero-emission freight and mobility.

Before joining CALSTART, Jordan worked on the EV Charging Policy & Incentives team at 7-Eleven, supporting the strategic buildout and launch of the 7Charge network of public, fast chargers. Prior to 7-Eleven, Jordan led the Transportation Initiative and Carbon Programs Initiative at Acadia Center, working to advance ambitious, equitable policies to decarbonize the transportation and power sectors across the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic.

Jordan holds a Master of Environmental Management from Duke University and a Bachelor of Science in International Relations and Environmental Studies from Tufts University. He lives in Beverly, MA, where he enjoys gardening, fishing, and cooking, and volunteers as Chair of the Beverly Clean Energy Advisory Committee.

  From Tufts to the National Parks of Boston: A Career Connecting People to Parks

Speaker: Marc Albert, A90, Director of Science and Stewardship Partnerships for the National Parks of Boston

Thursday, October 31, 2024 | 12-1 pm EST 
Location: Curtis Hall Multipurpose Room (474 Boston Avenue, Medford, MA) 
Online Viewer Livestream Registration – Oct. 31

Marc Albert was a driven, righteous, and naive activist - intellect as a Tufts undergraduate, double-majoring and self-sure about the progressive world that his generation would be creating. He would focus on social good, environmental care, and a humanistic approach to policy. Then, he experienced the complexities and limitations of the ‘real world’ beyond campus, and faced a crisis of faith in his power to make change in the complex society. In this lecture, Marc will discuss how he found his way back into empowerment and public service through connecting community to urban coastal national parks in the San Francisco Bay Area and Boston Harbor. He will detail science and stewardship initiatives on public park lands that demonstrate environmental conservation and community empowerment, and will discuss some of the challenges and opportunities of park management in a changing climate.

This lecture is sponsored by Environmental Studies in collaboration with the Department of Biology. 

Marc Albert will also participate in the Career Center Professional-in-Residence Program after his environmental lecture. This program exists to provide students the opportunity to meet with experienced professionals to learn more about how they might begin to pursue their own paths toward a related career. Sign up for a one-on-one meeting with Marc Albert. 

Marc Albert

Marc Albert, A90, is the Director of Science and Stewardship Partnerships for the National Parks of Boston, which includes the Boston Harbor Islands National & State Park, Boston National Historical Park and Boston African American National Historic Site. Marc facilitates the study and management of natural areas and cultural landscapes of the parks through partnerships and community engagement. Marc serves on the Boston Harbor Islands Partnership, and is a two-time recipient of the National Park Service Trish Patterson Award for Natural Resource Management in a Small Park. Marc earned his bachelors degrees in Environmental Studies and American Studies from Tufts University and a Masters degree in plant ecology from U.C. Berkeley, and has more than 25 years of experience linking park management to science and community in both San Francisco and Boston.

  Finding Success through Self Advocacy as a Black Woman in Toxics Use Reduction

Speaker: Kayla Powers, A19, Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Lead at Clean Production Action

Thursday, November 7, 2024 | 12-1 pm EST 
Location: Curtis Hall Multipurpose Room (474 Boston Avenue, Medford, MA) 
Online Viewer Livestream Registration – Nov. 7

Kayla Powers’ experience as a Black woman at Tufts and in the environmental health equity and toxics use reduction space is defined by ups and downs. In the 5 years since graduating Tufts with BAs in Environmental Studies and Anthropology, Kayla has grown from a program coordinator to programmatic lead and strategic director. Her career path and accomplishments to date would not be possible without self-advocacy. Her greatest strength is being able to speak up for herself and what is important to her. Enacting this value has enabled her to find her own voice and power within environmental spaces like that of green chemistry and sustainable materials which have not been historically inclusive to environmental justice communities and activists. Now she uses her presence and skill set to pave her own way forward in advancing environmental justice within corporate chemicals policy and the financial industry.

This lecture is sponsored by Environmental Studies in collaboration with the Department of Anthropology.

Kayla Powers

Kayla Powers, A19, joined Clean Production Action as Communications and Program Coordinator in the summer of 2019. She is a graduate of Tufts University in which she earned a BA in Environmental Studies with a concentration in Sustainability, Policy, and Equity and a BA in Anthropology. Kayla brings communications and outreach experience from her previous internship work with the Clean Water Program of California's Consumer and Environmental Protection Agency of Santa Clara County, and the Environmental & Transportation Planning Division of Massachusetts's Community Development Department of the City of Cambridge.

Since joining the team, Kayla has played an essential role in advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives and pushing for strategic and meaningful implementation of these values by the organization. She brings a wealth of experience and knowledge to guide our organization forward. Aside from her lived experience, Kayla's educational background in Anthropology has equipped her with a strong understanding of structures and practices of race and racism. Kayla is committed to working toward a cleaner, greener, and safer environment for people of all walks of life and looks forward to building her career in environmental justice and advocacy.

  The Intersection of Law and Conservation – Private Environmental Enforcement

Speaker: Keith Ainsworth, A87, Environmental Attorney

Thursday, November 14, 2024 | 12-1 pm EST 
Location: Curtis Hall Multipurpose Room (474 Boston Avenue, Medford, MA) 
Online Viewer Livestream Registration – Nov. 14

Attorney Keith Ainsworth will offer a perspective on a 34-year career in conservation law through the reflections on the career path of a 1980’s ENVS grad by sharing highlights/take-aways along the way and Tufts’ role in the trajectory, in addition to talking about the Private Environmental Enforcement in American Law-- what environmental law looks like from the trenches.

Keith Ainsworth

Keith Ainsworth, A87, has been an environmental and land use litigator in Connecticut for over three decades. He has a broad conservation-based practice representing land trusts, non-profits, land owners and businesses in transactions and litigation before administrative agencies and state and federal courts. Currently Acting Chair of the CT Council on Environmental Quality, former chair of the CT Bar Association Environmental Law section and a municipal first selectman (Haddam), Keith brings a rounded perspective to conservation. A graduate of Tufts with a BS in biology, environmental studies and English literature, Keith applies a scientific and analytical background to the law. He is a life member of the Madison Land Conservation Trust and served on the national leadership council of Trout Unlimited. Keith also serves as General Counsel to Vista Life Innovations, Inc., a private educational institute for adults with intellectual disabilities. Keith is also an avid outdoorsman and the author of several volumes of poetry.

  A Rural Agrarian Reckoning: Multigenerational Farmers Seeking to Repair Soil, Agriculture, and Rural America Itself

Speaker: Sydney Giacalone, A17, PhD student at Brown University

Thursday, November 21, 2024 | 12-1 pm EST 
Location: Curtis Hall Multipurpose Room (474 Boston Avenue, Medford, MA) 
Online Viewer Livestream Registration – Nov. 21

Sydney Giacalone's research studies multigenerational farmers and ranchers across the US who are transitioning away from conventional practices towards environmentally and social repairing approaches. This experience often involves questioning past education and internalized ideologies, learning to collaborate with nonhuman life to repair degraded ecologies, making intentional breaks from family and institutions, and joining networks to align with other people and causes. In the current US climate, these activities are often contentious within their rural communities and are intertwined with debates around the environment, land, gender, race, and class. As farmers’ transitions disrupt hierarchies foundational to the American family farm, how are familial, community, and ecological relationships broken, remade, or formed anew? This lecture will consider specifically how farmers are questioning and molding rural environments through these reparative efforts: what does American ruralness mean, who does it include, and why is it a landscape worth (or worthy of) changing?

This lecture is sponsored by Environmental Studies in collaboration with the Department of Anthropology.

Sydney Giacalone

Sydney Giacalone, A17, is a doctoral candidate in Anthropology at Brown University. Her work bridges environmental anthropology, political ecology, and rural studies. Giacalone received an undergraduate degree in Anthropology and Environmental Studies with a focus in Food Systems and the Environment from Tufts University, and a masters degree in Anthropology from Brown University. Her current multi-sited research theorizes alongside reckoning U.S. farmers: rural multigenerational agrarians engaged in the social, political, and ecological work of learning about and attending to their roles in their communities—human and nonhuman, past, present, and future. This research responds to calls within the social sciences for critical, non-reductive research on rural America, the concept of culpability, and dismantling systems of class, race, and species-based violence. Outside of her research, Giacalone is a graduate affiliate of the Institute at Brown for Environment and Society, a graduate student coordinator for the Rural Women’s Studies Association, and a co-editor of Engagement, the online journal for the Anthropology and Environment Society.

  Climate in the Roman World

Speaker: Brandon McDonald, Classics Department Faculty, Tufts University

Thursday, December 5, 2024 | 12-1 pm EST 
Location: Curtis Hall Multipurpose Room (474 Boston Avenue, Medford, MA) 
Online Viewer Livestream Registration – Dec. 5

Interpretations of the nature and influence of climate in the Roman world are frequently guided by deterministic rational. Many scholars believe that the Roman Climate Optimum (RCO) – a period during which several areas of the Mediterranean region experienced warmer and more stable weather conditions – was central to the expansion of the Roman Empire. Similarly, some think climatic trends and events in the centuries subsequent to the RCO, especially the so-called Late Antique Little Ice Age beginning in the mid-sixth century CE, were in large part responsible for the Empire’s decline and disintegration. However, the Mediterranean is made up of a multitude of disparate climatic systems and natural landscapes. Roman-era societies living amongst these ecosystems are just as diverse – each with their own environmental coping mechanisms of varying success. This lecture seeks to nuance these differences in climate and society to highlight why broad climatic phases cannot by themselves be used as societal determinants.

Brandon McDonald

Brandon McDonald is the Rumsey Family Assistant Professor of Interdisciplinary Studies in the Department of Classical Studies with a secondary appointment in Environmental Studies at Tufts University. His research centers on human-environment interaction in the ancient Mediterranean region, with particular focus on the influence of climatic/environmental change and infectious disease on Roman civilizations. Brandon co-directs a Late Antique excavation project in the Küçükçekmece Lagoon (Istanbul), and he has also conducted fieldwork in southwestern Turkey, Italy, Egypt, and Greenland, the latter as part of an ice core palaeoclimatology team. His teaching includes topics ranging from environmental history and historical epidemiology to ancient urbanism and the archaeology of the Roman economy. Brandon came to Tufts after three years of postdoctoral work at the University of Basel in Switzerland. He studied Ancient History and Classics at Columbia University (2015), and he received an MPhil (2017) and a DPhil (2021) in Classical Archaeology from the University of Oxford.