Florida Climate Change Collaboration to Showcase Student Work

Students in the FSU School of Communication’s Digital Media Production (DMP) program are participating in an initiative headed by Dr. Andy Opel that brings together over one hundred students from across Florida State University. The project, Florida Climate Change Collaboration, is presenting a showcase of undergraduate students’ work this Saturday, April 27, at 621 Gallery in Tallahassee.

In addition to the DMP students participating, students from Dr. Katherine Dale‘s social media advocacy campaigns course will serve as social media consultants for the projects displayed.

See below for the full press release about this great event.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
WHAT:  Florida Climate Change Collaboration Showcase
WHEN:  Saturday, April 27, 6-8pm
WHERE:  621 Gallery, 621 Industrial Dr, Tallahassee, FL 32310

The Florida Climate Change Collaboration (FCCC) will be presenting a showcase of undergraduate student work on Saturday April 27th from 6-8pm at the 621 Gallery in Railroad Square.

The FCCC is a four course interdisciplinary effort to work with students on projects targeting public understanding of the myriad impacts climate change is already having on Florida.  Ten student groups will be presenting their work, ranging from Klima Kids who produced a series of podcasts aimed at elementary school children, to No Planet B who translated the science into a series of short videos.

In 2017, Dr. Eric Chassignet and Dr. Vasu Misra  co-edited a book, Florida’s Climate: Changes, Variations, and Impacts, that provides a thorough review of the current state of research on Florida’s climate, including physical climate benchmarks; climate prediction, projection, and attribution; and the impacts of climate and climate change on the people and natural resources of Florida. The book offers accessible, accurate information for students, policymakers, and the general public.

Dr. Andy Opel in the School of Communication liked the book and decided to see if there was interest in organizing a collaborative interdisciplinary course using that book as the basic text.  The result has been an innovative and unique teaching/learning experience among four colleges and departments at FSU.

The Florida Climate Change Collaboration is an interdisciplinary, multi-course effort designed to get students and faculty working together to address the climate crisis.

Dr. Bill Landing’s students (Department of Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Science) have focused on the physical basis for climate change, Dr. Stephanie Pau (Department of Geography) has worked with students on understanding the impacts of climate change on Florida’s ecosystems, Dr. Opel’s students have focused on digital media production, and Dr. Chari Arespacochaga (Theater Department) has worked with students on developing narratives and performance.

Dr. Katherine Dale, who teaches a social media advocacy campaign course in the School of Communication, is also involved — her students function as social media “consultants” and are a resource for students incorporating social media tools for communicating about climate change.

The Florida Climate Change Collaboration course brings together ~100 students from four distinctly different academic disciplines, is intended to connect the skill sets of diverse students to translate the science of climate change into forms that public audiences can relate to.  Students have been working in interdisciplinary teams and developing publicly accessible projects that address some of the diverse ways climate change is impacting Florida.

For more information about the FCCC contact:

Dr. Andy Opel
aopel@fsu.edu
850-322-3349