The Role of Scholars in a Time of Social and Ecological Crisis

This panel was proposed by Professor Catherine Potvin, the inaugural Emeritus College Patricia Merivale scholar in residence at Green College. It seeks to respond to a question often asked of Dr Potvin by more junior scholars: “What can and should we do in these troubled times?” The five panelists, at various career stages from a range of disciplines, will engage this question from different standpoints. They will discuss their sense of the need for action, the challenges of advocacy, and potential constraints on (effective) intervention. With contributions, during the discussion, from graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, current faculty, and members of the public in the audience, we hope that this panel will make an important contribution to current debates about the relevance of universities, the academy’s role in society, and the responsibilities of individuals as scholar-citizens.

This event is open to the general public and does not require registration (but please note that our seating is limited). A reception in the Piano Lounge, Graham House, will follow this event. 

Her visit and talk have been co-organized with UBC Emeritus College.

Dr Catherine Potvin is a distinguished tropical forest ecologist whose research advances understanding of carbon dynamics, biodiversity, and community-based climate solutions. With decades of fieldwork in Panama and Latin America, her work has shaped international climate policy, including through her service as a UN climate change negotiator for Panama. She has published more than 100 scientific articles in leading journals such as Nature, Science, and Global Change Biology. A Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada, she was the first woman to receive its Miroslaw Romanowski Medal. Dr Potvin leads Sustainable Canada Dialogues, a national network of scholars developing climate action policy, and is a Trottier Fellow at the Trottier Institute for Science and Public Policy. She is an Emeritus College Patricia Merivale scholar in residence at Green College. 

Dr Simon Donner is an interdisciplinary climate scientist and professor in the Institute for Resources, Environment, and Sustainability and the Department of Geography at the University of British Columbia, where he teaches and conducts research at the intersection of climate change science and policy. He is also the director of the UBC Ocean Leaders program, and holds appointments in UBC’s Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries and UBC's Atmospheric Sciences Program.

Dr Frank Tester is a professor emeritus in UBC's Social Work, adjunct professor of Indigenous Studies, University of Manitoba, and the Kutenai Art Therapy Institute, Nelson, British Columbia. He is a founding member of the Vancouver Association for Restorative Justice and a restorative justice practitioner, educator, and facilitator. Frank has worked for the Truth and Reconciliation Commission and as a technical advisor to Inuit and other communities dealing with resource development projects affecting their environments, cultures, and well-being, and internationally with CUSO and other non-governmental agencies. 

Dr Heidi Tworek is a Canada Research Chair and professor of History and Public Policy at the University of British Columbia, where she also directs the Centre for the Study of Democratic Institutions. Her work explores how new communications technologies affect democracy in the past and present. Professor Tworek bridges academia and public policy to tackle challenges around democracy, digital platforms, and global communication. She is a senior fellow at the Centre for International Governance Innovation and holds non-resident fellowships at the German Marshall Fund of the United States and the Canadian Global Affairs Institute. 

Dr Graeme Wynn is a professor emeritus in Geography, UBC, and a past principal of UBC Emeritus College. He is the current president of the International Consortium of Environmental History Organizations, and he studies environmental history and historical geography, with research interests in the evolving landscapes and societies of Canada and (to a lesser extent) New Zealand, Australia, and Southern Africa. Forestry, agriculture, and sustainability have been his main thematic interests, but he has also written on cities, migration, parks, and geographical practice.