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91���� Launches New School Dedicated to Environmental Sustainability

91����’s six campuses are situated in a region at the nexus of rapid urbanization and accelerated environmental risk. Recognizing the critical intensification of issues like rising temperature, coastal erosion and habitat destruction in South Florida and beyond, 91���� has launched its new School of Environmental, Coastal, and Ocean Sustainability (ECOS).

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91����’s six campuses are situated in a region at the nexus of rapid urbanization and accelerated environmental risk. Rising temperatures, coastal erosion, more frequent and intense storms and floods, habitat destruction, environmental contamination, and harmful algal blooms are concerns of everyday life that require quick understanding and solutions.

Recognizing the critical intensification of these issues in South Florida and beyond, 91���� has launched its new School of Environmental, Coastal, and Ocean Sustainability (ECOS). A partnership between the and 91���� Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute, the school is comprised of a broad array of existing disciplines and units to amplify 91����’s research, teaching and community engagement, while creating a comprehensive environmental hub at the university.

“Our expert faculty and scientists in the Schmidt College of Science and 91���� Harbor Branch are forging a path that leads to a resilient future, both with research and through training the next generation of scientists, problem solvers and policymakers,” said Valery E. Forbes, Ph.D., dean of the Schmidt College of Science. “We are in a prime location to study the environment and its intersection with urban areas – with the Atlantic Ocean, the Indian River Lagoon, the Everglades and numerous freshwater ecosystems converging in the largest metropolitan area in the state.”

The Schmidt College of Science is the second largest college at 91���� in terms of enrollment, and its research and teaching span four of 91����’s campuses. The college is home to esteemed scientists covering a diversity of academic disciplines – from biological sciences and chemistry to physics and urban planning – that are essential for solving complex environmental problems.

With more than 50 years of groundbreaking marine discoveries, 91���� Harbor Branch, the university’s northernmost campus in Fort Pierce, is a renowned leader in education, outreach and applied research in coastal and ocean environments. Through ECOS, the scientific discovery underway at 91���� Harbor Branch is linked more directly to the academic mission of the university.

“Training and education are paramount to our mission at 91���� Harbor Branch,” said James M. Sullivan, Ph.D., executive director of 91���� Harbor Branch. “Through ECOS, we have a stronger infrastructure for students and early career scientists to learn from our renowned research faculty.”

ECOS serves as an umbrella for graduate degrees in environmental science, marine science and oceanography. The school also serves as a connector for numerous pre-existing educational programs at the undergraduate and graduate levels, and as a platform for engaging external partners from the private sector, government and non-governmental organizations. 

Colin Polsky, Ph.D., a professor of geosciences and the director of , will serve as the founding director of ECOS. His work explores how people in Florida create, perceive and respond to climate challenges, such as sea-level rise in urban settings.

“91���� has long been a strong contributor to advancing environmental knowledge in South Florida,” said Polsky. “Now that we have a ‘school of the environment’ to amplify our interdisciplinary work, we can compete at the highest levels for the top faculty and students.”

Polsky will be a panelist at the Marine Research Hub’s event, “Building Our Research & Innovation Ecosystem with Our University Partners,” during the on Thursday, Oct. 26 at 1 p.m. at the Broward County Convention Center, 1950 Eisenhower Blvd., in Fort Lauderdale.

For more information about ECOS, visit fau.edu/ecos.

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Tags: faculty and staff | harbor branch | research | NewsDesk Topics | science