CERF Inclusion Lunch

The CERF Inclusion Lunch is a venue for the CERF community to address challenges faced by underrepresented people in the sciences, provide an environment supportive of triumphs, and develop personal and professional networks. For many years, CERF’s support for Women in Science events has paved the way for equity in coastal and estuarine science. This year, the CERF Inclusion Lunch presents an opportunity for conference attendees to broaden participation even further as a part of the CERF initiative Rising TIDES, Toward an Inclusive, Diverse, and Enriched Society.

The work and achievements of women over the years have laid the critical groundwork for Rising TIDES. The CERF Inclusion Lunch will celebrate the work of women pioneers in CERF to demonstrate the significance of a progressively diverse science community.

What's In Your Gumbo?
Ingredients for Putting Diversity, Equity and Inclusion into Practice
TUESDAY, 5 NOVEMBER 2019 | 11:30 AM - 1:00 PM
REGULAR: $40 | STUDENT: $20

If you have already registered for the conference and would like to add or change your ticketed events, please email our office to update your registration. Limited tickets will also be available onsite for walkins and others to purchase.

Gumbo, a stew originated in Louisiana, is especially popular in the Gulf Coast region. This flavorful dish is full of various combinations of meat, seafood, vegetables and spices that are brought together by three key ingredients characteristic of gumbo: a flavored stock, a thickener and the Holy Trinity (a.k.a. bell peppers, celery, and onions). It is the different types of ingredients that meld together and make the gumbo so delicious, much like it is the ingredients of diverse people, perspectives and experiences that enhance and enrich the CERF and coastal and marine science gumbos. During the CERF Inclusion Lunch, attendees learn strategies and gain tools to promote and instill the key ingredients of diversity, equity, and inclusion at both individual, organizational and institutional levels.

The keynote speakers Dr. Tuba Ozkan-Haller and Dr. Kristy Lewis will lead the audience through presentations, exercises and facilitated discussion to help identify meaningful ways in which to engage in DEI along multiple dimensions. There will also be time for personal and professional networking at the conclusion of the formal program.

Speakers

Dr. Tuba Özkan-Haller
Professor, College of Earth, Ocean, and Atmosphere Sciences
Professor, School of Civil and Construction Engineering
Associate Vice President for Research Administration and Development
Oregon State University

Dr. Ozkan-Haller is well known in the field of coastal engineering with expertise in nearshore waves and water motion and has served on the Ocean Studies Board of the National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine. Dr. Tuba Ozkan-Haller is passionate about communicating science to the public and has appeared in numerous documentaries produced by the History Channel, the National Geographic Channel, and Oregon Public Broadcasting.

Dr. Kristy Lewis
Assistant Professor, Department of Biology, National Center for Integrated Coastal Research
University of Central Florida

Dr. Lewis' research investigates ecosystem-level variability in marine communities and the impact these changes have on human stakeholders using statistical and ecological modeling strategies. Her focus on integrating science with societal needs includes participation of under-represented groups to find robust solutions to the world's most challenging coastal issues. For example, in a recently funded grant, she and an interdisciplinary research team will develop a web application giving coastal residents, including those in our most marginalized communities, the ability to assess their vulnerability to future environmental hazards and make informed housing decisions to reduce risk and increase resilience in fiscally responsible ways.