Loyola University New Orleans Environment Program students and faculty spent a November
weekend presenting on a panel at Rice University's Symposium “In the Path of Disaster(s):
Narratives around Natural Catastrophes in the Americas/Circum-Caribbean.” Their theme was
“Facing Disaster in a Coastal City: Scholarship, Service Learning, and Holistic Community
Engagement”. Dr. Uriel Quesada, Vice Provost for Institutional Research, Accreditation, and
Academic Engagement introduced the panelists

Dr. Aimee K. Thomas, Vairleene Einstein (ENVS ‘22), and Hillary Nguyen (THEA, ENVB ‘24)
presented their experience from the 2021 J-term course that incorporated social justice,
community engagement, and the New Orleans environment to understand how the environment
has contributed to disasters. The title of their presentation was “Addressing environmental
issues, racial inequities and injustices in New Orleans during the Covid-19 pandemic.”

Dr. Anne Daniell, Jackie Mutter (ENVH ‘24), and Tai Murphy (ENVH ‘23) presented research
on healing rituals in response to environmental devastation. "In the Aftermath of the Storm:
Ecological Thought and Creative Spiritual Ritual Art”.

Pictured front L to R: Einstein, Nguyen, Thomas, Quesada; back Dr. Jacqueline Couti, Laurence
H. Favrot Professor of French and Francophone Studies, Department of Modern and Classical
Literatures and Cultures at Rice University.