COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES 1 Robert A Flowers II ’91G Herbert J. and Ann L. Siegel Dean SPRING 2023 MESSAGE FROM THE DEAN A CHANGING CLIMATE This issue of the magazine explores climate change and conflict There is strong evidence that climate change contributes to increased conflict. In fact, I would argue that climate change is an existential threat not only to our economic and political security but also to our way of life. There are many interrelated factors—socioeconomic conditions, nationalism, globalization, and migration—that result from a changing climate that accelerate the risk of conflict. Universities play a unique role in helping to meet this challenge by fostering an intellectual environment that rewards solving complex problems, including the daunting challenges around climate change. Lehigh is well-poised to provide unique interdisciplinary approaches that will contribute to solving the challenges that are a consequence of climate change. As a scientist, I marvel at the advances in science and technology and their impact on humanity. With that said, many of the challenges we face related to climate change will not be solved by science and technology alone. We need to live differently, and the social sciences, arts, and humanities are central to imagining those different ways of living. Faculty in the College of Arts and Sciences have been actively engaged for many years in studying the effects of climate change, often through an interdisciplinary lens. This issue of Acumen explores the ecological, political, and societal implications of a changing climate, with essays that range from an examination of snowpacks in the Western United States to a study of how to empower those marginalized communities that are most disrupted by a changing climate. This issue also presents individual and collective faculty contributions to research, scholarship, and creative work on such topics as the representation of avian migratory patterns and molecular biology in art, conservation efforts in Africa, migrant workers in Brazil, mothers in Sierra Leone, and the life of a Buddhist saint. The creation and dissemination of knowledge is central to the intellectual life of the university, and our new discoveries and critique of the status quo can forge enduring improvements in the world far beyond South Mountain. The scholarly activity and creative work carried out by my colleagues across the college extends beyond traditional disciplinary boundaries, forging new partnerships that will continue to offer solutions of some of the most complex issues we currently face. We seek points of enquiry where areas of expertise intersect to understand global issues and identify possible solutions. As scholars and educators, we recognize that challenges create opportunities to learn and solve problems in ways that benefit our students, the broader community, and the world. Our students are direct beneficiaries of our scholarly activity, as we integrate teaching with opportunities for experiential learning that will provide great benefit to them long after their time at Lehigh. I hope you enjoy this issue of Acumen. I look forward to sharing our contributions and accomplishments with you and welcome your thoughts and comments. ACUMEN MAGAZINE EDITOR Robert Nichols ’17G | CAS ADVISORY BOARD Robert A. Flowers II, dean; Kelly Austin, R. Michael Burger, Dawn Keetley, Jessecae Marsh, associate deans | GRAPHIC DESIGNER Kayley LeFaiver | CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Leslie Feldman, Wendy Greenberg, Emily Halnon, Vicki Mayk, Steve Neumann, Robert Nichols ’17G, Chris Quirk | PHOTOGRAPHERS Douglas Benedict, Christine Kreschollek, Willow Munson ’23, Christa Neu | ACUMEN is published annually by the College of Arts and Sciences at Lehigh University | COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES Lehigh University, 9 West Packer Avenue Bethlehem, PA 18015 | cas.lehigh.edu | ©2023 Lehigh University Cover illustration by Simon Pemberton DOUGLAS BENEDICT READER FEEDBACK: Please send comments to: acumen@lehigh.edu LIKE US: CAS.Lehigh FOLLOW US: lehigh_cas TWEET US: @Lehigh_CAS FOLLOW US: lehighu-cas
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