Great Day Celebrating the Center of Climate, Coastal, and Marine Studies at Fairfield University with Representative Jim Himes

This is the 2nd year I'm serving on committees of the Center for Climate, Coastal, and Marine Studies at Fairfield University, and this year I get to be part of the Advisory Board. It was wonderful to learn that Representative Jim Himes wanted to learn more about the interdisciplinary work and to host him at the Center yesterday as part of the 2nd-year work. It was also wonderful to see him again, as the days of visiting DC with the National Writing Project was cut years ago by the removal of earmark funds for organizations like ours and I miss the yearly updates, tremendous CT support, and celebration of what we do (he always has our publications on display in his office). 

Times change. We worked with him closely for Guns in the Hands of Artists, too...one of the more moving interdisciplinary experiences with the Walsh gallery and colleagues across campus. We did great work with Greenwich Public Schools, local artists, great teachers, and kid writers. 

I'm optimistic with similar work with the Center's mission, especially to showcase student research and to make community engagement with our local K-12 partners. 

In many ways, yesterday was a reunion. Dr. Robert Nazarian is a brilliant scholar with a driven mission for the work. Dr. Margaret McClure, a faculty mentor, is now a Provost for Research on our campus (and a great mom! I worked with her son on his college essay). It was also great to spend time with colleagues across campus who do ecological work and have a vision for what is possible. 

Of course, the outdoor world is frozen now, but we brought warmth indoors and I'm glad that my Kentucky Institute for Education and Sustainable Development degree from the University of Louisville has been put to use. We even published a piece in the California Journal of English on our cross-disciplinary collaboration. 

Ah, but today is Friday (meetings galore). Time to get off the blog and into the action-packed day.