Community Science Lecture Series Brings Expert in Dramatic Impacts of Pollution in Waterways

The Schmidt College of Science’s  2023 Nat and Dorothy Hyman Science Lecture Series presents Sarah Hobbie, Ph.D., Regents Professor, College of Biological Sciences, University of Minnesota, who will discuss “Managing Pollution of Urban Waters: Sources and Solutions.” The lecture, followed by refreshments and hors d’oeuvres, will take place on Thursday, Nov. 2, at 5:30 p.m., on the Boca Raton campus.

The event is free of charge and is open to all Florida Atlantic University faculty, staff, and students, along with community members. Guests can register for the event  here   .

The talk will focus on the dramatic influence of nutrient pollution in urban waterways. Managing excess nutrients remains a major obstacle to improving ecosystem service benefits of urban waters, which Hobbie is currently studying in the Twin Cities Metropolitan Area in Minnesota. Advancing ecosystem-level understanding of urban watersheds generates insights that promote novel solutions to solving urban water quality challenges that impact communities around the world.

“The College is thrilled to bring Dr. Sarah Hobbie to speak as part of the Nat and Dorothy Hyman Science Lecture Series and share her acclaimed research with the University and our friends in the community,” says Dean of the Charles E. Schmidt College of Science, Valery Forbes, Ph.D. “Sarah’s work and expertise in this field is wide-ranging and of great relevance to us in Florida. The impact of pollution on waterways has come into even greater focus for Floridians, especially in this part of the state. With the Atlantic Ocean, Everglades, and numerous freshwater ecosystems all converging in the largest metropolitan area in the state, South Florida faces numerous threats to the quality of our local waters.”

The timely topic of Hobbie’s managing polluted waters lecture also supports building synergy and momentum for the University’s newest school – the  School of Environmental, Coastal, and Ocean Sustainability (ECOS) . A partnership between the Charles E. Schmidt College of Science and FAU’s Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute, the School will coordinate and stimulate the University’s work on pressing environmental topics facing South Florida and the world.

Hobbie’s research addresses the influence of human activities on terrestrial ecosystems. She explores the influence of human-caused changes to the global and local environment — rising atmospheric carbon dioxide, increased atmospheric nitrogen deposition, climate change, urbanization, and plant species compositional shifts — particularly terrestrial carbon and nutrient cycling and the flow of nutrients from land to water. She is active in the National Science Foundation’s Long Term Ecological Research program (LTER), with ongoing research at the Cedar Creek LTER site in central Minnesota.

Among her many accolades include serving as a member of the National Academy of Sciences as well as the Academy of Distinguished Teachers, University of Minnesota; University of Minnesota Regents Professor; Fellow of the Ecological Society of America; along with multiple awards and recognitions as an outstanding educator, faculty member, and advisor.

The Nat and Dorothy Hyman (NDH) Science Lecture Series was made possible by Florida Atlantic alumnus, Jerry Hyman, son of Nat and Dorothy Hyman. The NDH Science Lecture Series was created to encourage and inspire students in the sciences, and provide access to educational lectures by leaders in the scientific fields for FAU students, faculty, and community members, free of charge. This lecture series is organized by the Charles E. Schmidt College of Science.

Click here for more information  about the Nat and Dorothy Hyman Science Lecture Series.