The College of Staten Island is pleased to announce its Third Annual Earth and Environmental Science Speaker Series, organized by Sean Thatcher, Lecturer in the Department of Engineering and Environmental Science and Earth and Ocean Science Coordinator. The Fall 2026 series will bring a diverse group of scientists and environmental professionals to CSI to share their research, professional experiences, and perspectives on the broad and interdisciplinary field of Earth and environmental science.
The series will feature seven speakers throughout the Fall 2026 semester, with presentations exploring topics ranging from coral reef mapping and computer vision to volcanology, paleoclimate, coastal management, natural hazards, and environmental science. The talks will take place during Club Hours, from 2:30pm to 3:45pm. These are all free CLUE events. Although exact locations of the lectures will be finalized as dates draw closer, the presentations on October 1 and 22 will take virtually via Zoom (links to come via the Speaker Series Website).
“The speaker series is intended to support students within the University to gain a deeper understanding of the processes that shape the Earth, the diverse ways we understand it, and how it impacts us locally and abroad,” said Thatcher. “Additionally, it is a fantastic opportunity for students to meet early career scientists to begin developing their network as they make their way through our undergraduate courses and identify potential opportunities to pursue internships, scholarships, research programs, and more.”
Fall 2026 Speaker Series
Dr. Elvin Cordero – September 24
SeaMount Geospatial Labs
“Remote Sensing of Mesophotic Coral Reefs Using GIS and Computer Vision Techniques”
Dr. Samantha Tramontano – October 1
York College/CUNY
“The Many Languages of Magma”
Dr. Allison Franzese – October 22
Hostos Community College/CUNY
“Southern Hemisphere Winds during the Middle Miocene”
Dr. Jun Cheng – October 27
Kean University
“From Monitoring to Community-Engaged Coastal Management: Beach Erosion and Shoreline Change across the New Jersey Coast”
Dr. Alan Benimoff – October 29
College of Staten Island/CUNY
“Geology and Vacations: Risk from Natural Hazards”
Dr. Johnathan Lambert – November 5
New York University
“Reconstructing Upper Ocean Conditions in the Western Equatorial Pacific over the Last 250,000 Years”
Joseph Homsey – November 17
NYC Department of Parks
Topic to be announced
The speaker series is designed to showcase the breadth of Earth and environmental sciences while highlighting the connections between scientific research, other academic disciplines, and society. In addition to learning about current research, students will have opportunities to hear from professionals about applying their knowledge, pursuing careers in the field, and taking advantage of opportunities available to undergraduate students.
For more information about the Fall 2026 Earth and Environmental Science Speaker Series, contact Sean Thatcher at sean.thatcher@csi.cuny.edu or 718.982.2919, and visit the website for more information as it becomes available.
