Events and Opportunities
Expand the list below to see many of the events and programs we provided during our Year of Climate Action!
For full details, read our summary report.
Year of Climate Action Summary Report
Year of Climate Action Programming: Full list
New Student Book Forum
"Under a White Sky: The Nature of the Future" by Elizabeth Kolbert
Monday, August 22
The book chosen for the New Student Book Forum Class of 2026 is "Under a White Sky: The Nature of the Future" by Elizabeth Kolbert. The Pulitzer Prize–winning author of The Sixth Extinction returns to humanity’s transformative impact on the environment, now asking: After doing so much damage, can we change nature, this time to save it? The 2022 Helen and Philip Brecher New Student Forum took place during New Student Orientation on Monday, August 22nd.
The Caterpillar Lab @ Brandeis
In collaboration with the Environmental Studies Program
Tuesday 9/13, 1-5pm, and Friday 9/16, 11am-3pm
Location: Fellows Garden/ SCC Atrium
Photo credit: Forrest Shimazu '23
The Caterpillar Lab set up displays on campus during the peak of caterpillar season to discover, discuss, and delight in our backyard pollinators! From caterpillars and adult moths or butterflies to the parasitoids and predators who rely on them! Students spent the afternoon with large, charismatic caterpillars, microscopic leaf-eaters, and knowledgeable caterpillar naturalists to explore the whole story of insects, plants, and biodiversity in our green spaces. Students may never look at an insect - or their garden - the same way again!
Climate Concerns: Eco-Anxiety Support Group (fall session)
Climate distress is real. How do we take care of ourselves while we worry about and fight climate change? This fall, the Brandeis Counseling Center (BCC) will be offering this group to allow students to share concerns and build personal empowerment while strengthening community ties to combat despair, inaction, and eco-anxiety. This group is open to all Brandeis students.
Sojourn Theatre Residency: Year of Climate Action / A Devised Participatory Performance
In collaboration with the Department of Theater Arts
September 23-24, 2022
Using the Year of Climate Action as a point of inspiration and frame of reference, the Department of Theater Arts will bring Sojourn Theatre to Brandeis to collaborate with Brandeis Students during a two-week residency from September 11-24, 2022. Students will work with two Sojourn Theatre Artists to create Year of Climate Action / A Devised Participatory Performance, Brandeis Students working in collaboration with Sojourn Theatre. The work will be created in collaboration with Sojourn Theatre Artists using a variety of techniques Sojourn Theatre uses to create their signature performances using a "best practice model" for arts-based civic dialogue. Each 20-30 minute presentation will be followed by an audience discussion facilitated by Sojourn Theatre Artists and Brandeis students.
In conjunction with this event, the Department of Theater Arts is hosting drop-in workshops to make giant recycled puppets each day from September 13-15.
Local Environmental Justice In Action
Talk & panel discussion with Maria Belen Power
Hosted by the Heller School for Social Policy and Management. Part of the Laura Goldin Lecture Series on Climate Change, Health and Social Justice.
September 28, 2022, 12 - 1:30 p.m.
Lunch begins at 12pm, virtual program begins at 12:30pm
Maria Belen Power is the Associate Executive Director of GreenRoots, a community-based organization dedicated to improving and enhancing the urban environment and public health in Chelsea and surrounding communities. Maria Belen oversees GreenRoots’ environmental justice campaigns and supports the work of the organizing team. She represents GreenRoots in the Green Justice Coalition of the Greater Boston Area as well as national movements for environmental and climate justice. Maria Belen was appointed by President Biden to serve on the newly established White House Environmental Justice Advisory Council (WHEJAC), which advises the executive branch on all issues related to environmental and climate justice.
Maria Belen's talk will be followed by a panel discussion on questions of environmental & climate justice with alumni from the Heller School for Social Policy and Management, including Heather McMann, Executive Director of Groundwork Lawrence.
Indigenous People's Day
Theme: Indigenous Climate Justice
Sponsored by the Brandeis Office of Sustainability, Brandeis Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, and the Brandeis Women Gender and Sexuality Studies.
Monday, October 10, 2022
12:00-2:00pm
ICC Patio (RSVP requested to help reduce food waste)
Join us for a powerful discussion on Indigenous Climate Justice by Jean-Luc Pierite President, North American Indian Center of Boston followed by an interactive Round Dance. Lunch will be provided, which will include authentic Native American dishes
A Very Brief History of Sustainability
Co-sponsored by the Center of German and European Studies
Thursday, October 13, 2022
12-1:30 pm EST
Zoom Webinar (registration required)
Join us for a conversation with Professor Annette Kehnel, author of "Wir Konnten auch Anders. Eine Kurze Geschichte der Nachhaltgkeit" (We Could Do Things Differently. A Brief History of Sustainability). Pre-modern history is full of inspiring and amazing examples that are ripe for rediscovery. And we urgently need them as today’s challenges – finite resources, the twilight of consumerism, growing inequality – are pressing. History teaches us that there are alternatives to the status quo and its leading doctrine. Growth and returns were not always the measure of all things; we acted and lived differently, and we could do so again.
What’s your “foodprint”? The hidden costs of our food choices with “Earthling" Ed Winters
Co-sponsored by the Center of German and European Studies and the Boston Vegetarian Society
Hybrid event (In-person event is for Brandeis community members only.)
Tuesday, October 18, 2022
To keep up with the demand for animal products without compromising the environment, we need drastic changes in our food systems. Educator, public speaker, author, and filmmaker Ed Winters will tackle the complexities of this topic and challenge the view that we are solely consumers. Instead, Ed argues we have to become food citizens, aware of the origin of our foods and the damage caused by our everyday choices. Drawing on the latest science and most up-to-date research, this talk will analyze the impact of our food choices and ask the question, what will the future of food look like?
Registration is required for attending virtually.
From Knowledge to Action: About the Psychology of the Climate Crisis
Co-sponsored by the Center of German and European Studies
Tuesday, October 18, 2022
12-1:30 pm EST
Zoom Webinar (registration required)
The scientific facts about the climate and ecological crisis have been known for a long time, and yet societies have not been able to take action at the necessary scale. In this lecture, Lea Dohm presents the psychological mechanisms beneath the insufficient action, and possible strategies to respond in a healthy way. She also shows how people in Germany are organizing in order to move towards a societal transformation towards a more just and sustainable future, and what everyone, but especially those in the health professions can contribute.
Jewish Environmental Values and the Book of Genesis with Rabbi Winberg
October 19, 12-1 PMBeit Midrash (basement of Shapiro residence hall)
Lunch from Milk Street Cafe
Colonialism and Climate Crisis 
Sponsored by The Heller School for Social Policy and Management
Thursday, November 10, 2022
12 - 1:30 pm Eastern Time (US)
Hybrid: Heller G04 or Zoom (registration required)
Prof. Aviva Chomsky will be giving a lecture entitled “Colonialism and Climate Crisis” based on her new book Is Science Enough? Forty Critical Questions.
Despite decades of international meetings, policy proposals, and scientific and technological advances, we can’t seem to do what we most need to do: lower the greenhouse gas emissions that are causing the climate catastrophe. Science and technology alone can’t address the social and economic causes of the crisis. Prof. Chomsky argues that we must place global climate justice at the center of our project of lowering emissions and shifting to an economy based on the common good and human survival within the planet's limits.
Prof. Chomsky will be signing her new book after the talk.
Action Dinners with Brandeis' Climate Organizer-in-Residence
In collaboration with the Vic and Bobbi '63 Samuels Center for Community Partnerships and Civic Transformation
October 13 and November 1, 15 & 30. Registration is required.
Are you interested in climate justice & policy? Have you ever wanted to learn how to advocate for climate action? Join for one or all of the dinners!
Eben Bein, the Massachusetts Field & Education Manager for Our Climate and Administrator for the Massachusetts Youth Climate Coalition, is Brandeis’ Climate Organizer-in-Residence this semester! As part of the residency, Eben will lead several trainings for students on how to advocate for the science-based, equitable, and intersectional climate justice policies we need.
Our Climate is a national organization that empowers young people to advocate for the science-based, equitable, and intersectional climate justice policies that build a thriving world.
Virtual Seminar Series on the Physics of Climate
Sponsored by the Brandeis Martin A. Fischer School of Physics and other Universities
Next seminar: Wednesday, November 16, 2022
Topic: "Whither Sea Ice?"
12:00 - 1:00 pm Eastern Time (US)
Zoom Webinar (register to access)
Brandeis Professor of Physics Albion Lawrence is co-organizing the American Physical Society (APS) Topical Group on the Physics of Climate monthly virtual seminar series on climate physics and variability. We hope that these seminars will introduce the physics community to various aspects of the climate system, the latest results, and the outstanding questions and challenges. The seminars will be hosted by APS through Zoom.
GPC Virtual Seminar Series Organizing Committee:
Pedram Hassanzadeh, Ching-Yao Lai, Albion Lawrence, and Tiffany Shaw
Lunch with an Environmental Lobbyist
How can YOU make a difference in climate policy? Learn the current state of play for environmental policy in Massachusetts, how ideas become laws, and where you fit in. Katharine Lange, Policy Specialist for the Massachusetts Rivers Alliance, will share current challenges she's working on in the water world, and opportunities for students to speak up for rivers.
Join Prof. Hitchcock for a free lunch with Katharine Lange in the Faculty Club. Katharine works as the Policy Specialist for the Massachusetts Rivers Alliance, a statewide nonprofit organization dedicated to protecting and restoring the rivers and streams of the Commonwealth. She's all in on climate action; she works directly with legislators to craft and advance state legislation to improve the environment and local climate resilience, and to increase funding to the state agencies who steward our lands and waters. Katharine attended the University of Connecticut for her BA and Master's of Public Administration, and worked on land conservation policy in Connecticut for two years. In 2020 she swapped her car for a bike and hasn't looked back.
Bird Strike Decal Design Competition
Art in the Year of Climate Change: Prevent Bird Deaths on Campus
Sponsored by Environmental Studies, Brandeis MakerLab, the Office of Sustainability, and Arts Engagement.
Since 1970, nearly 1 out of 3 birds in the US and Canada has vanished. Window collisions are one of the leading causes of bird deaths in the US, accounting for an estimated half a billion dead birds a year.
One way to prevent birds from striking windows is to reduce the reflective surface with a vinyl decal.
Bird strike “hot spots” can be found all across campus. To help mitigate our campus impact on birds, we want to feature your design on a campus building!
We invite Brandeis undergraduates to submit designs for a bird strike window decal. The winning design will be installed on Shiffman Humanities Center or Golding Judaica Center and unveiled during the Leonard Bernstein Festival of the Arts, April 21-30, 2023.
Deadline to apply: February 27, 2023
A prize of $200 will be awarded to the winning individual or team.
Climate Concerns: Eco-Anxiety Support Group (spring session)
Thursdays, 11am (5 weeks, starts 2/2)
Climate distress is real. How do we take care of ourselves while we worry about and fight climate change? Join this reflective 5-week session to share concerns, discuss the emotional side to activism, and build personal empowerment while strengthening community ties to combat despair, inaction, and eco-anxiety. For more info, please contact Hadassah Margolis at hmargolis@brandeis.edu.
Refining Canadian Oil Today: Four Methods
March 28, 2023
12:45 - 2:00 pm
Mandel Center for the Humanities Reading Room (303)
Join us for this talk by Jordan B. Kinder, a settler-British and Métis scholar of environmental humanities and media studies from a resource town in what is now called northern British Columbia, Canada. He is an incoming 2022-23 Postdoctoral Fellow with the Mahindra Humanities Center at Harvard University.
Lunch will be served.
CGES@25: Beginning to End the Climate Crisis
Thursday, March 30, 2023
12:00 pm - 7:00 pm Eastern Time (US)
Sherman Function Halll, Hassenfeld Conference Center, Brandeis University
About:
In 2023, the Center for German and European Studies at Brandeis University will celebrate its 25th anniversary.
To kick off its 25th anniversary celebration, CGES is planning a conference in coordination with Brandeis' Year of Climate Action and the launch of CGES' director Sabine von Mering’s English translation of Luisa Neubauer and Alex Repenning's book, Beginning to End the Climate Crisis: A History of Our Future. Join us to celebrate CGES and enjoy a stimulating conversation on German climate action, climate justice, and climate activism, and what must be done to protect a livable future.
Schedule of Events: TBD
Confirmed Speakers include:
Bill McKibben
Luisa Neubauer (Fridays for Future Germany) - via Zoom
Alexander Repenning (Right Livelihood Foundation)
Sabine von Mering (CGES Brandeis)
Simon Richter (UPenn)
among many others
All year: Coolfood Meal Takeovers
You may have already seen Coolfood Meals badges on our residential dining menus to help you choose climate-friendly dishes. Coolfood Meals have a low carbon footprint and help us meet our carbon reduction goals. Going forward, Coolfood Meal takeovers will happen in each dining hall every month. That means once a month at Usdan Kitchen and at the Farm Table/Kosher Table at Sherman, Coolfood meals will be featured by default. The locations of the takeovers alternate and are listed on the Brandeis Hospitality website in advance. Learn more about our commitment to Coolfood.
Rare exhibit in the SCC Atrium
Climate Culture: The actions that matter most to fight climate change
April 24-May 22, SCC Atrium
Rare's colorful, interactive exhibition booths will be on display in the SCC Atrium to educate the community about the most important and impactful climate-positive actions Americans can adopt individually. The exhibit will feature new content created with Brandeis students and alumni. Sponsored by the Office of Sustainability.
Leonard Bernstein Festival of the Creative Arts
April 21-30, 2023
The Leonard Bernstein Festival of the Creative Arts celebrates the abundant creativity of Brandeis students, faculty and staff, joined by distinguished guest artists.
The 2023 festival celebrates ART IN THE YEAR OF CLIMATE ACTION.
Save the date: Sunday, April 23 is SUPER SUNDAY, our family and community day, with performances and activities for all ages.
Here's a day-by-day schedule of events. Follow the Festival of the Arts on Instagram and Facebook for updates.
The Festival of the Arts is produced by Brandeis Arts Engagement.
The Business of Climate Change 2023
April 19 - 25, 2023
How will business respond to climate change?
Join us as we explore the risks and opportunities posed by climate change. How we organize our economy, finance investments and manage innovation will change dramatically in the coming decades. Our goal is to help young leaders understand the business of climate change and empower them to explore innovative solutions. This annual program is sponsored by the Asper Center for Global Entrepreneurship at Brandeis International Business School.
Events include:
The Economics of Climate Change
April 19, 2023 — 5:30-6:45 P.M.
Alumni Lounge (Usdan)
Brandeis University
Measuring the Carbon Footprint of the Brandeis Endowment: An Art and a Science
April 25, 2023 — 5:30-6:30 P.M.
Lee Hall
Brandeis International Business School
Climate Change in the Classroom
Faculty at Brandeis International Business School will explore the impact of climate change on business, finance and economics using case studies, specialized readings and guest speakers. Many classes are open to the public through registration.
Earth Day: Gathering and Grounding 2023
Friday, April 21
Location: Fellows Garden & booths (rain location: SCC atrium and MPR)
12 - 2 pm: Circle gathering: Come to Brandeis’ Earth Day gathering - together with Indigenous voices, we will circle, dance, and share. Let us connect with the earth, to inform our actions in this Year of Climate Action. Eva Macias (Aamskapipikuni Blackfeet, A'aninin Gros Ventre) will lead a participatory dance offering; a circle will allow us to listen and speak; student groups will have information and activities. Come to honor and celebrate.
12 - 3 pm: Student tables & activities, including a screening of the short environmental dance film "Liquid Spine, Cape Ann," which illuminates the abundance of trash and plastic on the shores and in the waters of Cape Ann, Massachusetts.
2:30 - 3:30 pm: Join Liquid Spine director, choreographer and dance educator Katie Pustizzi for an outdoor movement workshop on Chapels Field. If you plan to participate in the workshop, please sign this short participation waiver and bring it with you to the workshop.
3:30 - 6:30 pm: Off-campus nature & spirituality walk at Middlesex Fells Reservation, led by the Center for Spiritual Life
Sponsored by the Center for Spiritual Life, the Office of Sustainability, the Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, Women's, Gender & Sexuality Studies, Hillel, and Arts Engagement.
Programming by interest
Biodiversity
The Caterpillar Lab @ Brandeis
September 13 & 15
The Caterpillar Lab is a New England-based non-profit dedicated to the greater appreciation and care for the complexity and beauty of our local natural history through live caterpillar educational programs, research initiatives, and photography and film projects. The Caterpillar Lab will visit campus this special year to help educate the campus community about the impact of climate change on local biodiversity in an interactive and fun way, including exploration programming with display tables and a microscope station with live lepidopterans for public viewing. This event is perfect for students interested in ecology, animal behavior, and field Biology since it is a unique chance to learn more about the local ecosystem.
Business
Climate & environmental justice
How We End Our Fatal Dependence on Fossil Gas from Russia or Anywhere
Organized by the Center for German and European Studies
September 13, 2022
12 - 1:30 pm
Zoom Webinar
More information and Register
The Russian invasion of Ukraine and the energy crisis that followed have underlined Europe’s fatal dependence on fossil energy imports, whether oil and gas from Russia or LNG from Qatar. Europe can only get out of this quandary by accelerating the transition towards 100 percent renewables. In the meantime, pressing energy shortages that private households and industry may face during the coming winters, should be addressed by massive energy saving and efficiency efforts first and foremost. Additional fossil energy infrastructure, including LNG terminals to replace Russian gas, should be planned in a way that overcapacities and lock-in effects can be avoided, with a limited timeline and with achieving our climate goals in mind.
Local Environmental Justice Panel with Maria Belen Power
In collaboration with the Heller School for Social Policy and Management
September 28, 2022
12:00-1:30pm
Lunch will be provided. Registration is required. More details forthcoming.
Part of the Laura Goldin Lecture Series
Maria Belen Power is the Associate Executive Director of GreenRoots. GreenRoots is a community-based organization dedicated to improving and enhancing the urban environment and public health in Chelsea and surrounding communities. Maria Belen oversees GreenRoots’ environmental justice campaigns and supports the work of the organizing team. She represents GreenRoots in the Green Justice Coalition of the Greater Boston Area as well as national movements for environmental and climate justice. Maria Belen was appointed by President Biden to serve on the newly established White House Environmental Justice Advisory Council (WHEJAC), which advises the executive branch on all issues related to environmental and climate justice.
Maria Belen's talk will be followed by a panel discussion on questions of environmental & climate justice with alumni from the Heller School for Social Policy and Management. Additional details will be forthcoming.
Indigenous Climate Justice
Sponsored by the Brandeis Office of Sustainability, Brandeis Intercultural Center, Brandeis Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, and the Brandeis Women Gender and Sexuality Studies.Monday, October 10, 2022
12:00-2:00PM
ICC Patio (reservation needed)
Join us for a powerful discussion on Indigenous Climate Justice by Jean-Luc Pierite President, North American Indian Center of Boston followed by an interactive Round Dance.
A Very Brief History of Sustainability
Sponsored by the Center of German and European Studies
Thursday, October 13, 202212-1:30 pm EST
Zoom Webinar (need to register)
Join us for a conversation with Professor Annette Kehnel, author of "Wir Konnten auch Anders. Eine Kurze Geschichte der Nachhaltgkeit" (We Could Do Things Differently. A Brief History of Sustainability). Pre-modern history is full of inspiring and amazing examples that are ripe for rediscovery. And we urgently need them as today’s challenges – finite resources, the twilight of consumerism, growing inequality – are pressing. History teaches us that there are alternatives to the status quo and its leading doctrine. Growth and returns were not always the measure of all things; we acted and lived differently, and we could do so again.
From Knowledge to Action: About the Psychology of the Climate Crisis
Sponsored by the Center of German and European Studies
Tuesday, October 18, 202212-1:30 pm EST
Zoom Webinar (need to register to get access)
The scientific facts about the climate and ecological crisis have been known for a long time, and yet societies have not been able to take action at the necessary scale. In this lecture, Lea Dohm presents the psychological mechanisms beneath the insufficient action, and possible strategies to respond in a healthy way. She also shows how people in Germany are organizing in order to move towards a societal transformation towards a more just and sustainable future, and what everyone, but especially those in the health professions can contribute.
Register for the event here
Colonialism and Climate Crisis
Sponsored by The Heller School for Social Policy and Management
Thursday, November 10, 202212 - 1:30 pm Eastern Time (US)
Heller G04
Despite decades of international meetings, policy proposals, and scientific and technological advances, we can’t seem to do what we most need to do: lower the greenhouse gas emissions that are causing the climate catastrophe. Science and technology alone can’t address the social and economic causes of the crisis. Prof. Chomsky argues that we must place global climate justice at the center of our project of lowering emissions and shifting to an economy based on the common good and human survival within the planet's limits.
Academic Activism: Should Science Speak up?
Sponsored by the Center of German and European Studies
Monday, November 14, 2022
12 - 1:30 pm Eastern Time (US)
Zoom Webinar (Please register to receive the Zoom link for the webinar)
"Can you think of something more astonishing as a scientist?
In every paper, there would now be a paragraph starting with “however”. Also here: However; what is the use of the upper slogan if science doesn’t speak up? If scientists see their role in searching for facts – but not in communicating them; along with demanding consequences to be taken. We’re getting better and better at describing the horror we’re heading for in terms of a climate catastrophe – but yet, most scientists are deeply into business as usual. Some even more than ever since. Is it our moral obligation to speak up? Are we even qualified in doing so? And what challenges are we facing with that – especially after the eruptive events of the past three years? This workshop intends to tackle these questions – together."
Join us and have a discussion with Sebastian Seiffert, full professor for physical chemistry of polymers at Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz.
Food & dining
Showcasing our new local and sustainable food initiatives in Brandeis Hospitality
During the week of October 17, in commemoration of World Food Day, Brandeis Hospitality will be tabling in dining halls to feature the local and sustainable ingredients and sourcing initiatives that will be incorporated into your everyday dining experience.
Parents and families
Campus Sustainability Tours
The Brandeis Sustainability Ambassadors will lead campus sustainability tours for visiting families during Family Weekend.
Physics
APS Topical Group on the Physics of Climate: "Whither Sea Ice?"
Sponsored by the Brandeis Martin A. Fischer School of Physics and other Universities
Wednesday, November 16, 2022
12:00 - 1:00 pm Eastern Time (US)
Zoom Webinar (register to access)
The APS Topical Group on the Physics of Climate (GPC) is starting a monthly virtual seminar series on climate physics and variability. We hope that these seminars will introduce the physics community to various aspects of the climate system, the latest results, and the outstanding questions and challenges. The seminars will be hosted by APS through Zoom.
Policy & advocacy
Action Dinners with Eben Bein of Our Climate
In collaboration with the Vic and Bobbi '63 Samuels Center for Community Partnerships and Civic Transformation
Multiple dates. Additional details will be released soon.
Our Climate is a national organization that empowers young people to advocate for the science-based, equitable and intersectional climate justice policies that build a thriving world. Eben Bein, the Massachusetts Field & Education Manager for Our Climate and Administrator for the Massachusetts Youth Climate Coalition, will come to campus to provide several trainings for students on how to advocate for the science-based, equitable and intersectional climate justice policies, which will be formatted in a series of "action dinners." One session will also be held during the day for Brandeis faculty & staff. He will then prepare and organize at least four meetings with the MA State Legislators representing campus, inviting students to join.
Student club/group funding
Create your own Year of Climate Action programming
This program is for Brandeis student clubs that wish to create programming related to climate change, climate justice and/or sustainability during Brandeis' Year of Climate Action. The goal of this program is to allow students to create the kinds of events they would like to attend, with the climate change-related content they care about most, using funding outside of the regular Marathon schedule to allow for maximum flexibility.
Funds may be used for food, screening fees, speaker fees, and more! The event itself must focus on a climate change-related theme. Suggestions and ideas are included in the application. The number of attendees at the event/program must be reported to the Office of Sustainability after the event.
The maximum amount of funding available is $500. For initiatives that require more funding, clubs may always apply to the Brandeis Sustainability Fund.
Student research prize
New Climate Change Research Excellence Prize
A new category for the library's existing Research Excellence Prizes will be focused on climate change-related research. Awards are given in the spring. Additional details will be forthcoming.
Theater
Make puppets - make friends!
September 13-15, 2 p.m. - 5 p.m. each day
Spingold Lawn (rain location: inside on Spingold Mainstage)
In conjunction with Year of Climate Action / A Devised Participatory Performance, the Dept of Theater Arts is inviting any and all students to come down and get creative with your hands. Make new friends at our outdoor craft stations loaded with recycled cans, bottles, cardboard and paper. You will work with our Costume Shop Director Brooke Stanton and your fellow students to make the puppets from recycled materials. Celebrate the Year of Climate Action in a fun, interactive way and kick off a great start to the new semester.
Year of Climate Action / A Devised Participatory Performance
Students working in collaboration with Sojourn Theatre
Using The Year of Climate Action as a point of inspiration and frame of reference, The Department of Theater Arts will bring Sojourn Theatre to Brandeis to collaborate with Brandeis Students during a two-week residency from September 11-24 (actual performances will occur on September 23-24). Students will work with two Sojourn Theatre Artists to create Year of Climate Action / A Devised Participatory Performance, Brandeis Students working in collaboration with Sojourn Theatre. The work will be created in collaboration with Sojourn Theatre Artists using a variety of techniques Sojourn Theatre uses to create their signature performances using a "best practice model" for arts-based civic dialogue. Each 20-30 minute presentation will be followed by an audience discussion facilitated by Sojourn Theatre Artists and Brandeis Students.
The Brandeis MakerLab
New Environmental Impact Maker-in-Residence Program
The Research Technology and Innovation department in the Library will be launching a new Maker-in-Residence opportunity for students who focus on environmentally impactful projects using the emerging technology across the Brandeis MakerLab, Automation Lab, and Digital Scholarship Lab supported by the RTI department. Additional details will be forthcoming.
Zero waste
Post Landfill Action Network resources
Brandeis community members can the Post Landfill Action Network's member hub and resources for free by creating an account with their brandeis.edu email address. Resources include a case library of nearly 300 case studies of successful zero waste programs and initiatives on college campuses, educational content for organizing on campus, training toolkits and guides for zero waste and social justice movement-building, video lessons and films, and more.
Beyond Waste Leadership Certification
Any member of the Brandeis community is invited to become certified through the Post Landfill Action Network's Beyond Waste Leadership Certification program for free. The program helps students gain and strengthen their skills as changemakers on campus. Upon completion of this certification program, students will have developed their leadership toolkit to include key skills such as project planning and execution, creating a budget, facilitating group meetings, and effectively navigating campus hierarchy. Student clubs may apply for funding to provide food for their club members during training through the student club funding program. Note: The program is currently being updated and will be live around the end of August or early September.
New Courses
The following were new courses last year. Several existing courses also included climate content for the year.
ENVS 111a— Environmental and Climate Justice (Fall 2022)
Our new Professor Prakash Kashwan will teach about the consequences of climate change and how they are distributed unequally across different world regions, countries, and different social groups within countries. This course will introduce you to the major concepts and debates related to the unequal effects of climate change, including those of the ongoing efforts to combat climate change. We also explore several proposed programs and reforms meant to contribute to the goals of environmental and climate justice, including the social activists and movements working toward addressing social, economic, and political inequalities within ongoing efforts to address climate change.
ENVS 122a — Our Local Waterways (Fall 2022)
Prerequisite: ENVS 21b and permission of the instructor.
In this experiential learning course, students will go on weekly field trips to learn about the history, environmental issues, and management of waterways in eastern Massachusetts. Connections will be made with organizations and individuals working to improve the health and sustainability of our local waterways. There will be a strong focus on the Charles River which flows adjacent to the Brandeis campus. Usually offered every second year.
Sally Warner
ENVS 20a — Introduction to Climate Change and Health (Fall 2022)
Introduces students to various public health dimensions of climate change. Students will engage with tools for monitoring and evaluating climate and human health relationships while investigating more resilient measures for existing mitigation and adaptation strategies. Usually offered every year.
Israel Ukawuba
LGLS 122B — Indigenous Rights, Environmental Justice, and Federal Indian Law (Fall 2022)
Math 10a — Calculus I using climate data (Spring 2023)
Math 10a has been revised to use climate data to teach the principles of calculus.
NEJS 26b — Jewish Environmental Ethics
This course aims to do three things: 1) To explore the ways in which Jewish Ethics can inform contemporary discussion of environmental issues; 2) To give you the experience of reading texts from a regularly distant and unfamiliar past in light of burning questions today; 3) By shining a spotlight on one specific cluster of issues to give you an overview of Jewish Ethics as a whole.
Religious traditions have to put it mildly profoundly shaped our world. And modern secularization notwithstanding, in many ways still do. These traditions have their own long, complex histories, bodies of texts and practices, rituals and practices, which must first be grasped on their own terms, and then brought into dialogue with the larger global community.
This course focuses on one of them – Jewish tradition, from its beginnings in Biblical antiquity till the present day. In this course, we will be thinking about Judaism, and thinking with it, seeing how comparing and contrasting Jewish ideas and practices over time can help us better understand our own ideas today, both where Jewish ideas and practices resonate, and where they differ.
Yehudah Mirsky