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The Louisiana Social, Environmental, and Economic Resilience (LA-SEER) Center arranged a dynamic series of online sessions - LA-SEER Talk: From Risk to Resilience, where experts and industry leaders come together to illuminate the pathways from risk to resilience.
In Spring 2025, this dynamic online talk series brought together prominent experts, changemakers, and industry leaders to explore how we can turn risk into actionable resilience. This time, LA-SEER Talk aims to highlight leading LSU researchers whose work is advancing multi-disciplinary approaches to risk reduction and resilience building across Louisiana.
The LA-SEER Talk: From Risk to Resilience - Fall 2025 Series will welcome Dr. Matthew Bethel, Associate Executive Director of Research for Louisiana Sea Grant at LSU on Friday, December 5, 2025. With over two decades of experience in applying geospatial technologies to social-ecological decision support, Dr. Bethel leads research that connects scientific data with community knowledge. His work integrates science-based insights and Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) to guide hazard mitigation and climate adaptation across multiple scales. At LA-SEER Talk, he will share inclusive, community-driven strategies for integrating diverse knowledge systems to advance equitable, resilient environmental decision-making.
REGISTER FOR LA-SEER TALK WITH DR. Matthew Bethel
LA-SEER Talk: From Risk to Resilience - Fall 2025 Session
Dr. Margaret Reams, the Joseph D. Martinez Professor of Environmental Sciences and the Associate Director for Community Engagement at the Institute for Energy Innovation at Louisiana State University, spoke on “Enhancing Community Resilience: The Critical Role of Trust,” highlighting how trust serves as a foundational element in strengthening community preparedness, cohesion, and long-term recovery.
Dr. Md Adilur Rahim's talk highlighted how Agentic AI can translate complex risk science into community-friendly tools, enabling better understanding and decision-making at every level.
LA-SEER Talk: From Risk to Resilience - Spring 2025 Session
LA-SEER Talk Spring 2025 session kicked off with Mr. Stephen Swiber, Chief Resilience Officer for the State of Louisiana, who shared insight into the state’s ongoing efforts to manage risk and build resilience.
Dr. Ivis Garcia, PhD, AICP, Associate Professor at Texas A&M University, emphasized the power of community engagement in planning, housing, and development to create more resilient futures.
Mr. Jeffrey Carney, Associate Professor at the University of Florida and Director of the Florida Institute for Built Environment Resilience (FIBER), and Director of the Florida Resilient Cities program (FRC), took us into the future with the Florida Digital Twin—a transformative look at health, housing, and hazard planning.
In a thought-provoking session, Robert Jacobsen, PE, presented "Twenty Years After Katrina: Ten Fundamental Flood Ri$k Lessons We Must Finish Learning"—a deep dive into the intersection of risk, resilience, and sustainability.
LA-SEER Talk Spring 2025 series wrapped up with Katie Freer-Leonards and Eric D White from Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority (CPRA) of Louisiana, who discussed the Louisiana Coastal Master Plan Development Process—a cornerstone for Louisiana’s coastal future.
