2015 Global Change Symposium
The inaugural symposium was successfully held on August 28, 2015 in the Talley Student Union.
The focus of the symposium was on networking and community-building in order to explore how NCSU can most effectively respond to issues associated with global change. Organized by the Department of the Interior’s Southeast Climate Science Center in partnership with the Global Environmental Change and Human Well-being Faculty Cluster, the symposium received support from the Colleges of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Natural Resources, Sciences, and Engineering, and NCSU Office of Research, Innovation and Economic Development.
Who attended? All NCSU faculty, staff, postdoctoral associates, graduate students, and affiliates with an interest in topics related to global change were encouraged to participate. More than 200 individuals registered and participated in an agenda that included short introductions by faculty, poster sessions, and brainstorming discussions.
Global change is more complex than just climate change, sea level rise, or altered rainfall patterns. Global change includes long-term modifications of human and environmental systems such as climate, land use, immigration, global economics, energy production, and environmental regulations. Changes are occurring now in North Carolina, and expected to increase in the future. These changes will profoundly affect the people of North Carolina and significantly alter the role of the state university system in addressing the needs of residents and businesses.
Global change presents the community of researchers and students at NC State with important opportunities for knowledge development and outreach. The symposium focused on enhancing the capacity of NCSU to develop local solutions to these global issues.