Polar Studies lecture to examine climate change, history

This fall's Center for Polar Studies lecture at Augustana will examine the Arctic's histories of science and colonialism in light of current thinking on climate change.

Dr. Andrew Stuhl, assistant professor of environmental studies at Bucknell University, will give the talk, "Unfreezing the Arctic: Historical Perspectives on Arctic Futures."

The free lecture will begin at 7 p.m. Nov. 29 in the John Deere Lecture Hall in the Planetarium building (map).

When a region experiences rapid ecological transformations, observers often disregard history as a guide for sustainable futures. Dr. Stuhl argues the opposite, saying that in these times, scientists must learn from Arctic history. His talk will draw on nearly a decade of field and archival research in Arctic North America, and what the lessons are for addressing climate change. 
 
Dr. Stuhl is the author of "Unfreezing the Arctic: Science, Colonialism, and the Transformation of Inuit Lands," and of several articles, essays, and book chapters on Arctic environmental history and contemporary Arctic affairs. As part of his research, he spent two years living and working in the Arctic town of Inuvik, Northwest Territories. 

He is a recipient of the 2017 Young Scholars Prize from the International Union of History and Philosophy of Science and Technology and the 2014 Rachel Carson Prize from the American Society for Environmental History.

He has an M.A. and Ph.D. in the history of science, medicine and technology, and an M.S. in environment and resources from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
 
The Center for Polar Studies promotes and supports polar research and scholarship at Augustana and in the broader academic community. Established in 2009, the center addresses topics such as polar ecosystems, polar earth history, global warming, atmospheric studies, glaciology and meteorology.