Colloquia

The Duck Family Colloquium Series is managed by graduate students. For 2025-2026, Hassan Aziz (Political Science Ph.D. student) will serve as the Richard B. Wesley Fellow in Environmental Politics and Governance and the chair of the Duck Family Colloquium series. The Center will host the following seminars, as described below.

The Center for Environmental Politics organizes a monthly colloquium series on environmental politics, policy, and governance. This series is made possible by the generous support of Gary and Susan Duck, UW alumni and long-standing benefactors of the department. Susan passed away in December 2015 after a prolonged illness. We miss her a lot.

2025-2026 Colloquia

17

October2025

“When Federal Climate Policy Works: The Role of Benefits, Business, and Politics”David Vogel
Soloman P. Lee Chair Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Business Ethics
Professor Emeritus, Political Science Department
Editor, California Management Review
Berkeley, Haas School of Business

Noon – 1:30pm PTThe Olson Room (Gowen Hall 1A), UW

7

November2025

“Deploying Science in Post-Disaster Decision Making: Lessons from the 2025 Los Angeles Fires”Megan Mullin
Faculty Director of the UCLA Luskin Center for Innovation
Luskin Endowed Chair in Innovation and Sustainability
University of California, Los Angeles

Noon – 1:30pm PTThe Olson Room (Gowen Hall 1A), UW

23

January2026

“The Enduring Dilemma of Managing American High-level Nuclear Waste”Barry Rabe
Arthur Thurnau Professor Emeritus of Environmental Policy
University of Michigan, Ford School of Public Policy
Non-Resident Senior Fellow in Governance Studies
Brookings Institution

Noon – 1:30pm PTThe Olson Room (Gowen Hall 1A), UW

20

February2026

“Human-Wildlife Coexistence”Amanda Stronza
Professor, Associate Department Head for Graduate Programs
Department of Ecology and Conservation Biology
Co-founder of the Applied Biodiversity Science Program
Texas A&M University

Noon – 1:30pm PTThe Olson Room (Gowen Hall 1A), UW

06

March2026

“New Directions for International Law of the Sea”Elizabeth Mendelhall
Associate Professor, Joint appointment
Department of Marine Affairs; Political Science
University of Rhode Island

Noon – 1:30pm PTThe Olson Room (Gowen Hall 1A), UW

03

April2026

“Making Better Decisions about Sustainability”Thomas Dietz
Professor of Sociology and Environmental Science and Policy
Founding Director of the Environmental Science and Policy Program
Michigan State University

Noon – 1:30pm PTThe Olson Room (Gowen Hall 1A), UW

01

May2026

“Local Climate and Sustainability Policy: A Focus on Implementation”Rachel Krause
Professor University of Kansas School of Public Affairs and Administration
University of Kansas

Noon – 1:30pm PTThe Olson Room (Gowen Hall 1A), UW

Past Colloquia Events

Browse the line-up of speakers from past colloquia:

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