University of Rochester visit by Mark Carey, March 2027 - Cold Studies event

This presentation suggests that historians continue to play a vital role in rethinking public memories and challenging persistent storylines about icebergs and the frozen world. Public Talk (5:00 PM – 7:00 PM) Stories of Arctic Science on Thin Ice: Interdisciplinary Research, Broader Impacts, and Storytelling This workshop addresses three key areas, from the perspective of an environmental humanities and interpretive social science scholar who has worked for 20 years in large interdisciplinary research groups working on projects in Peru, Greenland, Switzerland, and Oregon. (1) The workshop will explore challenges and opportunities of interdisciplinary collaboration, including questions of how to practice environmental justice within research teams.

(2) The workshop will discuss different approaches to disseminating research findings, including what the National Science Foundation calls "broader impacts." But there are less-frequently-discussed pitfalls of such efforts, or what might be called the "broader impacts of broader impacts." (3) Finally, the workshop will consider the kinds of stories researchers choose to tell about their work, whether through academic publications or public-facing venues.

The discussion will range from the humorous (parody) to the practical based on experience serving on numerous NSF review panels, with concrete suggestions for framing research deliverables and outputs in grant and fellowship proposals. Morning Workshop (9:00 AM – 10:30 AM) Bio: Mark Carey is a Professor of Environmental Studies and Geography at the University of Oregon, with a Ph.D. in History. He runs the Glacier Lab for the Study of Ice and Society, collaborating with students and scientists to study environmental history, ice humanities, political ecology, and climate justice primarily in the Andes and Arctic regions.

Current research focuses on icebergs in the North Atlantic Ocean, fjord systems in Greenland, and glacier justice in Peru and the US Pacific Northwest. Ongoing research has been funded by NSF, NEH, and the Andrew Mellon Foundation.