Guest Speaker Library

September 2nd: Hunter Vaughan

The Underwater HOA held its virtual monthly meeting presentation and discussion: Environmental Impacts and Resource Dependency of Digital/Online Culture, with Hunter Vaughan, author, media scholar, and Environmental Media Scholar-in-Residence at University of Colorado Boulder. Dr. Vaughan presented an often overlooked dimension to climate change in how technology and its widespread utilization for mass communications is contributing to climate change through large scale energy extraction and consumption.

August 5th: Dr. Landolf Rhode-Barbarigos

This month featured a presentation by Landolf Rhode-Barbarigos, PhD, Assistant Professor at the Department of Civil, Architectural, and Environmental Engineering, University of Miami School of Engineering: Research Projects of Coastal Protection and Adaptation. Dr. Rhode-Barbarigos presented various research projects surrounding adaptation challenges and strategies for dealing with coastal hazards from sea level rise and climate change.

July 1st: Christian Kamrath and Sonia Chao

UnderwaterHOA presentation: Assessing the Vulnerability of Coastal Buildings to Storm-surge Flooding with Sonia Chao, Professor and Director of the Center for Urban & Community Design, University of Miami School of Architecture. Christian Kamrath, of the Miami-Dade Office of Resilience, also gave a brief introduction to how community members can comment and provide feedback to the latest Army Corps of Engineer study. Released on June 5th, the study investigated solutions that will reduce the damage and risks from flooding that come from storm surges associated with hurricanes and tropical storms amplified by warming ocean temperatures and sea level rise.

June 3rd: Dr. Ben Kirtman

The second virtual Underwater Homeowners Association monthly meeting brought together students, professors, activists, and scientists for a great presentation by Dr. Ben Kirtman, Professor of Atmospheric Sciences at the University of Miami’s Rosentiel School for Marine and Atmospheric Science. Dr. Kirtman gave a thorough and insightful presentation on emerging climate trends and predictions, while the many attendees created an atmosphere of welcome dialogue and understanding surrounding the climate crisis as it is being experienced here in South Florida and in coastal cities around the world.

May 6th: Dr. Brian Haus

Xavier Cortada brought his monthly Underwater HOA meeting to an online platform for the first time and engaged participants in a conversation about the impact of COVID-19 locally, as well as the similarities that exist between our collective response to this pandemic and our response to the climate crisis.