Grand Seminar
Loyola University Maryland’s academic division of natural and applied sciences will present the 2025 Grand Seminar on Wednesday, October 29 at 6 p.m. in McGuire Hall. The event will feature keynote speaker Dr. Kim Cobb, Director, Institute at Brown for Environment and Society and Professor, Environment and Society & Earth, Environmental, and Planetary Sciences, Brown University.
As a climate scientist, Dr. Kim Cobb uses observations of past and
present climate to advance our understanding of future climate change impacts, with
a focus on climate extremes and coastal flooding. She received her B.A. from Yale
University in biology and geology, and her Ph.D. in Oceanography from the Scripps
Institute of Oceanography. Prior to joining Brown in 2022, she served as Director
of the Global Change Program at Georgia Tech, Professor in the School of Earth and
Atmospheric Sciences, and ADVANCE Professor for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.
In her research, Kim has sailed on oceanographic cruises to the remote central Pacific
and led caving expeditions in the Borneo rainforests. She has received a NSF CAREER
Award, a Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers, the Hans Oeschger
Medal, and the ‘Friend of the Planet Award’. She is an elected Fellow of the American
Association for the Advancement of Science, the American Geophysical Union, and the
American Academy of Arts and Sciences. She served as Lead Author for the IPCC Sixth
Assessment Report, and was appointed by President Biden to the President’s Intelligence
Advisory Board. She currently serves on the Rhode Island Legislative Commission on
Climate Change Impacts and Solutions. As a mother to four, Kim is a strong advocate
for women in science, and champions diversity and inclusion in all that she does.
She is also devoted to the communication of climate change to the public through media
appearances, public speaking, and social media channels, and enjoys frequent exchanges
with policymakers about climate impacts and solutions.
Science and solutions for a (rapidly) warming world
Recent evidence suggests an acceleration in global warming rates, underscoring the need to invest in adaptation and resilience strategies even as we work to reduce fossil fuel emissions at every scale. In this talk, Dr. Cobb shares examples of ongoing research in climate resilience and emissions mitigation focused on accelerating the design and deployment of equitable, durable, scaleable, and replicable climate solutions. She highlights a key role for institutional innovation in advancing climate action through research, education, and public engagement, with a focus on equipping and empowering the next generation of climate leaders.
About the Grand Seminar
Beginning in 2011, natural and applied sciences hosts a yearly seminar with the goal of engaging Loyola students as well as providing an enlightening and informative event for the greater Loyola community. Watch past Grand Seminar presentations.