Earth Science and Society Spring 2026 Seminar Series Information
In our Spring 2026 seminar series, we explore the future of energy in Utah from an Earth science perspective.
Public lectures: Fridays, 11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. in Tracy Hall Science Center Room 426 (campus map)
Student workshops and discussion follow the lectures: 12:00-12:40 pm
Students: Get credit by registering for GEO 4990 (SUS) CRN 33138, 2 credits
Current Seminar Series Schedule
Speakers and topics will be posted as they are confirmed, and are subject to change due to cancellations or other rescheduling needs.
| Date | Speaker & Affiliation | Topic or Title | Flyers | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part I: Course Introduction | ||||
| Jan 9 |  |
Dr. Carie Frantz Associate Professor Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences Weber State University |
Course introduction: Earth science and society |
 |
| Jan 16 |  |
Rick Black Principal Scientist; Ecology and Planning Lead SLR Consulting |
Environmental permitting & regulations |
 |
| Part II: Operation Gigawatt and Nuclear Energy | ||||
| Jan 23 |  |
Michael Vanden Berg Energy and Minerals Program Manager Senior Geologist Utah Geological Survey |
Utah's changing energy landscape |
 |
| Jan 30 |  |
Angela Choberka Lorenzo Long Justin Owen |
Panel Discussion: Achieving net-zero in Ogden |  |
| Feb 6 |  |
Dr. Jessica Lovering Nuclear Policy Researcher Uppsala University Nuclear Power to the People |
The role of nuclear in deep decarbonization |  |
| Feb 13 |  |
Wade Williams Nuclear Engineer (retired) National Ignition Facility, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory |
Small modular nuclear reactors (SMRs) |  |
| Feb 20 | Lexi Tuddenham Executive Director HEAL: Healthy Environment Alliance of Utah |
Key questions to ask about nuclear energy | ||
| Part III: Science of the Environmental Concerns | ||||
| Feb 27 | TBD | Water use & impacts | ||
| Mar 6 | No seminar | Spring Break | ||
| Mar 13 | TBD Waste Management and Radiation Control Utah Department of Environmental Quality |
Nuclear waste | ||
| Mar 20 |  |
Intermountain Sustainability Summit | Various talks and workshops see https://www.weber.edu/issummit |
|
| Mar 27 |
Adam Hiscock |
Wasatch Fault seismic hazards | ||
| Apr 3 | TBD | The legacy of nuclear fuel in Utah | ||
| Part IV: Mock Permitting Hearing | ||||
| Apr 10 | Student presentations | Part I: Opening arguments | ||
| Apr 17 | Student presentations | Part II: Debate | ||
Past seminar series schedules: 2025 / 2024 / 2023 / 2022 / 2021 / 2020 / 2019