After arriving at the University of Miami to begin his tenure as its sixth president, Julio Frenk embarked on a listening exercise to hear what people had to say about the University and its future.
He talked with faculty, staff, students, community and business leaders, and others in the South Florida area.
One of the persistent themes of the discussions centered on the perception of Miami as being at "ground zero" for the impacts of climate change and sea-level rise.
Frenk, in his inauguration speech before 3,000 people—and viewed by thousands more online—at the BankUnited Center on the Coral Gables campus on January 29, 2016, said the University will increase its scientific study of climate change and its impacts.
"This is exactly the kind of transformative, global contribution that Miami can and should be making to the search for sustainable solutions," Frenk told the audience.
This Climate Change Special Report, a project by University Communications, showcases the work of the University's scientists, researchers, faculty, staff, students and alumni in the areas of climate change and sustainability.
For nearly six months, a team of writers, editors, videographers,
photographers, and web developers and designers worked on this report, which encompasses
more than 40 articles, photo galleries, videos, and interactive polls and social engagement.
This report looks at the areas of ocean and atmospheric research, renewable energy options, sustainable design and infrastructure, the spread of vector-borne diseases and health concerns, and population migration impacted by the changing environment, among other topics of interest.
Dozens of sources were interviewed for this report, which quotes or mentions more than 70 faculty, students, alumni and staff, and touches all the University's 11 schools and colleges.
- Peter E. Howard, project editor and executive director, University
Communications.
- Jessica M. Castillo, project manager and contributing writer.