Voinovich School faculty present at 2020 American Geophysical Union Conference

Faculty member Geoffrey Dabelko, Sarah Davis, and former faculty Derek Kauneckis at Ohio University’s Voinovich School of Leadership and Public Affairs, presented their respective research at the virtual American Geophysical Union Fall Meeting in December.

The American Geophysical Union is a nonprofit organization of scientists in fields such as Earth, ocean and space science with over 62,000 members from 144 countries. This year's Fall Meeting was one of the world’s largest virtual scientific conferences with speakers from a wide variety of disciplines. 

Geoffrey Dabelko, professor and associate dean of the Voinovich School, presented, “Lessons from Boundary Organizations: Connecting Scholars and Security Practitioners on Environment and Security” as part of a live panel. The panel, entitled “Earth Intel: Enhancing Partnerships Between Academic and National Security Communities to Address Ecosecurity Challenges,” included eight presentations from experts and practitioners in academia, the private sector, and the national security community.

Sarah Davis, associate professor of environmental studies at the Voinovich School, presented “Agave americana: a resilient crop for hot and dry regions,” research conducted with co-author David LeBauer at the University of Arizona. The presentation focused on Agave americana as a potential sustainable crop in a future affected by climate change. She also spoke as part of the live panel, “Earth, Agriculture, and Society: towards sustainable development in the Anthropocene.”

Derek Kauneckis, former associate professor, presented “Designing forecasting into reservoir operations: An application of institutional analysis to identify barriers and opportunities for resilient decision systems.” The presentation focused on the often-rigid operational guidelines for reservoirs and how new information can best be incorporated into the design.