Water—how much we have, its quality and how we use it – is the one issue that touches every Florida resident and community. Scientists from North America will gather at the University of Florida to tackle water issues such as quantity, quality and conservation. UF hosts its sixth annual Water Institute Symposium on Feb. 6 and 7 at the Reitz Union.
“The meeting is designed to bring together academics, industry, government agency personnel, students and the public to exchange multidisciplinary knowledge and institutional perspectives, so that together we can envision and chart a path to a sustainable water future,” said Wendy Graham, director of the UF Water Institute. “We expect approximately 350 attendees to participate.”
The UF Water Institute Symposium brings together individuals from a broad range of disciplines and organizations to explore water issues from multiple perspectives. The 2018 Symposium will focus on current water use, conservation, restoration, and adaptation efforts and challenges while envisioning new ways of sustaining our water systems. Innovative science, technology, cultural, policy, and management solutions will be explored through presentations, poster sessions and panels.
Sandra Postel, a leading authority and prolific author on international water issues, will speak at the opening plenary session on Tuesday morning, as well as partake in the first afternoon plenary session on Wednesday, entitled “Telling Water’s Story.”
Sandra’s newest book, “Replenish: The Virtuous Cycle of Water and Prosperity,” will be sold during a book signing on Tuesday morning.
There will be a reception and poster session on Tuesday night. The student poster authors will compete for “Best Poster” awards, judged based on the quality of their abstract, poster and discussion. The four winners will receive prizes of $1,000 each, to be used as funding to support future participation at a national conference.
To see the complete list of the Symposium sessions and panels, please see the Agenda. For more information, visit the UF Water Institute website at www.waterinstitute.ufl.edu
by Beverly James, University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences