The Bob Graham Center for Public Service provides a wide variety of programs for students and the larger public on topics related to public service, public leadership and civic engagement.

- This event has passed.
Our Gulf, Our Future: Navigating the Tides Together
September 10, 2024 @ 5:30 pm - 6:45 pm
Whether we call it home, visit its shores, or study its depths, we all share a stake in the future of the Gulf of Mexico and its communities. Join us for a live panel event in the Pugh Hall Ocora to explore how our shared connections can guide us through future challenges. A free reception with the panelists follows.
Communities along the Gulf are facing complex environmental, health, economic, cultural and social challenges – all of which are exacerbated by climate change.
Join us for an insightful panel discussion that brings together leading voices in environmental journalism, history, architecture, and coastal resilience.
Our featured guests are Dr. Jeff Carney, Marlowe Starling, Dr. Jack Davis and Dr. Christine Angelini. They will discuss how the interplay of climate, culture, and groundbreaking sustainability initiatives can shape the Gulf’s future, and how our collective bond with the Gulf will help us navigate through these turbulent times.
This in-person program is free and open to the public. A reception with the panelists will follow.
Parking: University parking restrictions typically lift at 4:30 pm, but please check lot signs to verify after-hours availability. For this program, we have reserved a limited number of parking spots at no charge in the public at Murphree Hall silver/gold decal lot. Please view this map for reference.
Meet our panelists
Marlowe Starling is a freelance environmental journalist based in Brooklyn and Miami who writes about climate, conservation and culture. Her work has appeared in National Geographic, The New York Times, Sierra Magazine, Live Science, Environmental Health News, the Associated Press, YES! Magazine, and Florida’s very own The Marjorie, among many other outlets. A current Launchpad Fellow with The Safina Center, Marlowe is a proud University of Florida alumna who went on to earn a master’s in science journalism from New York University. She grew up in Miami, where she relishes a serene paddle through the mangrove forests.
Jack Davis is a distinguished professor of history and the Rothman Family Chair in the Humanities specializing in environmental history and sustainability studies. He is the author or editor of ten books, including the Pulitzer Prize-winning The Gulf: The Making of an American Sea.
Jeff Carney is a registered architect and certified city planner working at the interface of housing, neighborhoods, and ecosystems with a focus on climate change adaptation. He is associate professor in the School of Architecture at the University of Florida, director of the Florida Institute for Built Environment Resilience (FIBER), and director of the Florida Resilient Cities program (FRC). Jeff’s work in Florida is focused on the resilience of communities achieved through transdisciplinary and community engaged design processes. His current projects include a U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development funded effort to design post-disaster modular housing, and an FRC project to assist the panhandle City of Port St. Joe to recover from Hurricane Michael that is supported by the Jessie Ball Dupont fund.
Christine Angelini is a professor and director of the Center for Coastal Solutions (CCS). Founded in 2020, CCS works across disciplines–ecology, engineering, health, computer sciences, policy and communications–to develop and deliver research and technology solutions that support coastal communities in addressing hazards and environmental degradation. A hallmark of the center’s innovation is the integration of large data sets, artificial intelligence and supercomputing to rapidly simulate coastal environmental scenarios and produce data driven solutions. The Center counts on strong partnerships with 50 plus organizations in the public and private sector at the local, state and national level to move the needle on coastal challenges.
The panel will be moderated by Dr. Matt Jacobs, Director of the Bob Graham Center for Public Service.
This panel is hosted by UF Gulf Scholars, which prepares students from diverse academic backgrounds with the knowledge, skills, and mindset necessary to address the complex and dynamic challenges facing Gulf of Mexico communities. Students and faculty interested in getting involved with Gulf Scholars will also learn about upcoming funding and experiential learning opportunities available through the program.