In Spring 2021, Professors Dominic Boyer and Farès el-Dahdah led an Environmental Humanities Research Forum
that focused on the aqueous environmental threats a city like Houston faces, like no other US city of similar size and scale. Environmental threats have only dramatically increased with the ongoing SARS-CoV-2 pandemic and what is equally clear is that the city is particularly prone to disenfranchising segments of its population in times of crises.
Participants
Aisha Sadiq, Graduate Student in English, University of Houston (Disaster Behavioral Health: Risks and Preparedness in a Natural Disaster-Prone Region)
Bruno Buccalon, Graduate Student in History, Rice University (Mapping Citations)
Dauda Adamu, Graduate Student in Religion, Rice University (Faith-based NGOs, FEMA, Collaborative Planning, and Building Resilience Communities)
Estefania Barajas, Graduate Student in Architecture, Rice University (Small and Collective: A Case for Resilience Action in the City of Houston)
Konstantin Georgiev, Graduate Student in Anthropology, Rice University (See It As It Was: Mapping Moving Images from Houston-Related Archives)
Nathaniel Leazer, Graduate Student in Architecture, Rice University (Power Outages, Natural Disasters, and Racialized Space in Houston)
Sean Smith, Postdoctoral Fellow at the Humanities Research Center, Rice University
Sophie Moore, Postdoctoral Fellow at the Humanities Research Center, Rice University
Presentations by Guest Speakers
February 2, 2021 / Water, Water, Everywhere: But Not Always in the Right Place
Martin Melosi, Cullen Professor Emeritus, University of Houston
February 4, 2021 / The Bayou City: Houston Urban Development from an Historical Perspective
Stephen Fox, Lecturer, Schools of Architecture, Rice University, University of Houston
February 9, 2021 / Paradigm Shift? Asserting the Role of Equity in Disaster Recovery and Adaptation
Jim Elliott, Professor of Sociology, Rice University
February 11, 2021 / Energy Transitions: The Roles of Legacy, Scales, Technology, and the Principle of Comparative Advantage
Ken Medlock, Senior Director, Center for Energy Studies and James A. Baker, III, and Susan G. Baker Fellow in Energy and Resource Economics, Rice University
February 25, 2021 / The Politics of Harris County, TX
Maureen Haver, PhD student, Rice University
March 2, 2021 / Water, Water and Air: The Important Interplay Between Statistical Modeling and Visualization for Policy and Planning
Kathy Ensor, Noah G. Harding Professor of Statistics in the George R. Brown School of Engineering, Rice University
March 4, 2021 / After the Flood: Lessons from Hurricane Harvey
Richard Johnson, Director, Administrative Center for Sustainability and Energy Management, Rice University
March 9, 2021 / Winter Storm Uri and its Impact on our Community
Gavin Dillingham, Director for Clean Energy Policy, Houston Advanced Research Center
March 11, 2021 / Too Deep: Class and Mothering in a Flooded Community
Rachel Kimbro, Professor of Sociology and Founding Director, Kinder Institute Urban Health Program, Rice University
March 18, 2021 / Houston’s Growth and Growing Pains
Kyle Shelton, Deputy Director, Kinder Institute for Urban Research, Rice University
March 23, 2021 / A Vision for Buffalo Bayou East
José Solís, Project Manager, Buffalo Bayou Partnership, Buffalo Bayou Partnership
March 25, 2021 / GIS methodology and implementation relative to SARS-COV-2 and Mosquito Control in Harris County
Sarah Gunter, Assistant Professor Baylor College of Medicine
March 30, 2021 / Floodplain Reclamation
Albert Pope, Gus Sessions Wortham Professor of Architecture, Rice University
April 1, 2021 / Diluvial Park Projects
Guy Hagstette, Senior Vice President of Parks and Civic Projects, Kinder Foundation
April 6, 2021 / Houston Flooding 3.5 Years After Harvey
Jim Blackburn, Baker Institute Rice Faculty Scholar, Professor in the Practice of Environmental Law, Rice University
April 13, 2021 / Overview of Harris County Flooding
Jeff Lindner, Director of Food Operations, Harris County Flood Control District
April 15, 2021 / Houston's Air Quality and Environmental Justice Issues
Bakeyah Nelson, Executive Director, Air Alliance Houston