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 |
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| Jan 16 | Rick Black Principal Scientist; Ecology and Planning Lead SLR Consulting |
The Utah regulatory landscape |
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| 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 |
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| Jan 30 |  |
Angela Choberka Lorenzo Long Justin Owen |
Panel Discussion: Achieving net-zero in Ogden |  |
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| Feb 6 | Dr. Jessica Lovering Nuclear Policy Researcher Uppsala University Nuclear Power to the People |
The role of nuclear energy in a carbon-neutral future | |||
| Feb 13 | TBD | New technology: All about small, modular nuclear reactors (SMRs) | |||
| Feb 20 | Lexi Tuddenham Executive Director HEAL Utah |
Nuclear energy opposition | |||
| Part III: Science of the Environmental Concerns | |||||
| Feb 27 | TBD | Water use | |||
| 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 |
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| 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