February 7, 2012

‘UCSB Reads' Community Conversations Will Address Environmental Issues

UCSB Reads continues through winter quarter with faculty members across a variety of disciplines participating in a series of Community Conversations at public libraries from Solvang to Carpinteria. The talks begin at 6 p.m. They are free and open to the public.

An annual event, UCSB Reads engages the campus and the Santa Barbara community in discussions about a key topic, while reading the same book. This year's selection is "Moby-Duck: The True Story of 28,000 Bath Toys Lost at Sea and of the Beachcombers, Oceanographers, Environmentalists, and Fools, Including the Author, Who Went in Search of Them."

On Wednesday, February 15, Peter Alagona, Joshua Schimel, and Libe Washburn will speak at the Montecito Branch Library, 1469 East Valley Rd. Alagona is an assistant professor of history and environmental studies at UCSB; Schimel is chair of environmental studies and a professor in the Department of Ecology, Evolution & Marine Biology at UCSB; and Washburn is a professor of geography at UCSB and chair of the campus's Interdepartmental Graduate Program in Marine Science.

On Thursday, February 16, Schimel, Joe Martorana, and Marjorie Popper will speak at the Solvang Branch Library, 1745 Mission Drive. Martorana is an assistant professor of political science at Santa Barbara City College, and Popper is co-founder of Cachuma Press and of the Santa Ynez Valley Natural History Society.

On Tuesday, February 21, John S.W. Park, Kathi King, Bill Hickman, Al Clark, and Martorana will speak at the Carpinteria Branch Library, 5141 Carpinteria Ave. Park is an associate professor of Asian American Studies at UCSB; King is the development activities manager at the Community Environmental Council; Hickman coordinates the "Rise Above Plastics" program for the San Diego chapter of the Surfrider Foundation; and Clark is a Carpinteria city councilman who advocates a ban on all paper and plastic bags.

On Tuesday, February 28, Stephanie Lemenager, Carol Blanchette, and Park will speak at the Goleta Branch Library, 500 N. Fairview Ave. Lemenager is an associate professor of English at UCSB, and Blanchette is a research biologist with UCSB's Marine Science Institute.

On Wednesday, February 29, Satie Airame, Hen Hiltner, Penny Owens, and Lemenager will speak at the Santa Barbara Central Public Library, 40 E. Anapamu St. Airame is assistant dean for academic programs at UCSB's Bren School of Environmental Science & Management; Hiltner is an associate professor of English at UCSB; and Owens is education coordinator for Santa Barbara Channelkeeper.

Other UCSB Reads Events include Campus Conversations at noon on Wednesday, February 16, and Thursday, March 1, in UCSB's Davidson Library. In addition, "Moby Duck" author Donovan Hohn will give a talk in UCSB's Campbell Hall at 8 p.m. on Monday, March 5.

More information about UCSB Reads is available at https://www.library.ucsb.edu/ucsbreads.

About UC Santa Barbara

The University of California, Santa Barbara is a leading research institution that also provides a comprehensive liberal arts learning experience. Our academic community of faculty, students, and staff is characterized by a culture of interdisciplinary collaboration that is responsive to the needs of our multicultural and global society. All of this takes place within a living and learning environment like no other, as we draw inspiration from the beauty and resources of our extraordinary location at the edge of the Pacific Ocean.