U of A Resiliency Center Hosts National Council for Science and the Environment Meeting

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – The University of Arkansas Resiliency Center in the Fay Jones School of Architecture and Design is hosting the Summer Member Meeting of the National Council for Science and the Environment on the U of A campus June 24-26.

This event is also supported by the Environmental Dynamics Program in the Graduate School and International Education at the university.

Established in 1990, the National Council for Science and the Environment is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization with a mission to improve the scientific basis of environmental decision-making. The council specializes in programs that foster collaboration between the diverse institutions and individuals creating and using environmental knowledge, including research, education, environmental and business organizations.

Colleges and universities are preparing future leaders to address the global challenges facing society. In today's world, where environmental challenges have grown more complex, the role of science in environmental decision-making remains as essential as ever. The council's member institutions are four- and two-year colleges and universities committed to ensuring that science is represented at the tables where decisions are made and to advancing environmental and sustainability education and training. 

At the council's Summer Member Meeting, deans, directors, and academic leaders from member institutions across the country will hear from local thought leaders, share work being done on their campuses, network with peers, and discover new opportunities for collaboration in science and policy.

Brennan Van Dyke, chief of capacity development and innovation with the U.N. Environment Programme, will engage the group on emerging science-based solutions to environmental challenges, monitoring progress toward achieving global environmental goals, and undertaking integrated assessments of the scientific data and information to guide policymakers, business and other civil society actors toward those actions that can accelerate progress toward those global goals.

Attendees also will be able to tour the U of A Community Design Center on the downtown Fayetteville square. An optional field trip is planned to Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art to see the current exhibition, "Nature's Nation: American Art and Environment," which will be led by Carl Smith, an associate professor of landscape architecture in the Fay Jones School.

More information about the National Council for Science and the Environment Summer Member Meeting is available on the council's website.