The UW College of the Environment has published an interview with SMEA Director Nives Dolšak and Dave Fluharty highlighting SMEA’s trajectory over the last 50 years. The article also shines light on the potential future of the program and invites everyone to join the celebration on May 19th and 20th.  An excerpt is provided below:

What’s next? Where do you see the School in 10 years?

Dolšak: Coastal areas are the center of economic activity and population growth. These and other factors, such as climate change and emerging energy and other technologies, create significant stress for marine and coastal ecosystems and communities. Addressing human dimensions of environmental change, the core focus and expertise of SMEA faculty and researchers, is essential for our society’s ability to support sustainable development and healthy communities while protecting threatened marine and coastal ecosystems and species.

In the next 10 years, I see SMEA faculty, researchers and students support governmental and private-sector efforts by systematically studying human dimensions of environmental change in marine, coastal and adjacent systems, identifying emerging problems and opportunities, devising solutions, helping adopt and implement them, as well as rigorously assessing their impact. I see us co-producing this knowledge with partners from our communities while strengthening their capacity. To do all that, I hope we can further increase the size of the faculty and train more students.

Fluharty:  I would like to see SMEA continue to advance its traditional strengths and to lead the transformative changes necessary to anticipate and resolve emerging issues.

The full article is available on the College of the Environment website here. You can learn more and register for the upcoming SMEA 50th celebration here.