Closing Plenary Session
[Grand Ballroom]
Tribute to Dr. Wendy Graham’s Legacy as Founding Director of the UF Water Institute
Presentation of Student Poster Competition Awards
Closing Plenary: "Translating Scientific Insights to Decision Making"
Panel Description:
The scientific process is about answers to questions. This Water Institute symposium was created to share the insights from that process for improving water sustainability in Florida and beyond, with the goal of aiding policy makers in their process of meeting our myriad water challenges. Florida is already a leader in water governance, but as our modern challenges reveal, there is much to be done to protect our aquifer, our aquatic ecosystems, our coastal infrastructure, and our legacy as natural resource stewards. This panel explores the pathways of scientific knowledge reaching our governance structures at all levels, the reciprocal pathways of information that help guide crucial research questions, and the best practices for ensuring open discourse between scientists, decision makers, regulators and the public.
Panelists:
Virginia Barker, Director, Brevard County Natural Resources Management Department
Wesley Brooks, Chief Resilience Officer, State of Florida
Rick Hutton, President, FWEA Utility Council and Supervising Engineer, Gainesville Regional Utilities (GRU)
Cathy Kling, Professor, Charles H. Dyson School of Applied Economics and Management, Cornell University
Steve Loheide, Professor, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Wisconsin
Michael A. Register, Executive Director, St. Johns River Water Management District
Timothy Gysan, Resilience Senior Project Manager, Ecosystem Branch, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Jacksonville District
Julie Wraithmell, Executive Director, Audubon Florida
Moderator:
Lisa Krimsky, Regional Water Resources Extension Agent IV, UF/IFAS Southeast District