The presentation will provide an overview of research that tracks environmental anthropogenic change since the Industrial Revolution using signal science methodology. The methodology and approach of signal science will first be briefly discussed in the context of historical archive interpretation. Through three case studies, the question is asked whether environmental regulations of the late 20th century have worked or not. The talk ends with a link to Dr. Brinkley’s talk on the 3 waves of environmental awakening in the U.S. with the personal experience as a scientist in the movement that led to sustainability studies.
About Dr. Patrick Louchouarn
Dr. Louchouarn joined the Ohio State University on Aug 1, 2022 as the Sr. Vice Provost for Faculty. In this position, he is tasked with developing an Office of Faculty Affairs that offers programming in support of hiring, promotion, and development of faculty at OSU. He is also a Professor in the School of Earth Sciences and affiliated faculty in the Sustainability Institute. Dr. Louchouarn oversees promotion and tenure processes and faculty policies, the Drake Institute for Teaching and Learning, the RAISE Initiative, the Provost’s Early Career Scholar’s Program, the Scarlet & Gray mid-career scholars program, awards and recognition, and the Office of Relocation and Dual Careers. He also works on fostering workshops to support both the personal and career development of faculty.
Prior to his move to OSU, Dr. Louchouarn was a Regents Professor at Texas A&M University in the Department of Geography with joint appointments in the Department of Marine and Coastal Environmental Sciences and the Department of Oceanography. In his ~17 years tenure at Texas A&M, Dr. Louchouarn served in several leadership roles, including as the Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs and Interdisciplinary Initiatives at Texas A&M University, where he has served since March 2021. In that role he supported faculty recruitment and development and worked to build active relations across academic units. Louchouarn led several offices and initiatives at Texas A&M, including the Office of International Programs, Center for Teaching Excellence, and Academic Innovation, and he coordinated the award and grant programs that allowed for the recruitment and retention of distinguished leaders in multiple disciplines at Texas A&M.
Prior to his work at Texas A&M, Louchouarn was the chief academic officer at the university’s branch campus at Galveston, where he worked to promote the success of all faculty, particularly those from groups underrepresented in the academy.
Louchouarn remains active in research and has an impressive publication and graduate student mentoring record. In 2020 he was named a Regents Professor by the Texas A&M University System Board of Regents.
Louchouarn received his bachelor’s degree from McGill University, and his master’s degree and PhD from the University of Québec in Montréal.
Dr. Louchouarn's Research
His multidisciplinary research is focused on understanding the impacts of environmental perturbations on biogeochemical cycling at ecosystem interfaces and to address capacity building in earth and environmental education in diverse communities. The orientation of his research in biogeochemistry deals with 1) the identification of fire markers and combustion by-products in complex environmental mixtures and their application to reconstructions of fire/combustion history and 2) natural and human-induced fluctuations in material fluxes within watersheds. In parallel, to address issues of learning and thinking in the environmental sciences, Dr. Louchouarn incorporates this research into inquiry-based educational models that question how people learn and take decisions on environmental issues.
This is an Environmental History Initiative event.
