University of Dubuque Faculty to Present at Climate Action Festival
Two University of Dubuque faculty members will present short informational sessions at the Climate Action Festival, which will be held from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. Thursday, April 3, 2025, at the Loras College Alumni Campus Center.
Hosted by the Dubuque Colleges Sustainability Coalition, the festival is free and open to the public.
Mary Emily Duba, PhD, chair of the Department of Theology and associate professor of theology at UD, will lead "Spirituality and Climate Change" in which participants will explore the insight from multiple world spiritualities, including Christianity, that human beings are kin to the whole interrelated community of creation.
"Our kinship with the Earth and other creatures can be a source of grounding, gratitude, and joy, even as it also calls us to action. Participants will experiment with spiritual practices they can integrate into their own lives," Duba said.
Kaycie Lawson, PhD, assistant professor of environmental science at UD, will join Cathi Cleary, PhD, chair of the Department of Interdisciplinary Studies and assistant professor of biology at Divine Word College, to present "The Evolution of Climate Change: What We've Learned and Why It Matters." They will speak about the history of climate change and how and why people know what they know.
"We will share information about how powerful we are as decision-makers to influence the climate futures of hundreds of generations of people to follow us," Lawson said.
The Climate Action Festival will include additional information sessions on the relationship between human health and climate as well as a celebration of nature through dance and arts and crafts. Each session will be led by faculty, staff, and student volunteers from area colleges. There will also be exhibits from student artists whose works explore those topics.
The Dubuque Colleges Sustainability Coalition is composed of eight institutions of higher learning in the Dubuque area: Capri College, Clarke University, Divine Word College, Emmaus Bible College, Loras College, Northeast Iowa Community College, University of Dubuque, and Wartburg Theological Seminary. Through shared resources and collaborative thinking, the coalition strives to bring sustainable practices and ideas to its campuses and the greater community.
