April 2017: Jamaica Bay (Featuring Adam Parris) | Transcript (.pdf)
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About the guest interviewee:
Adam Parris is the Executive Director of the Science and Resilience Institute at Jamaica Bay (www.srijb.org). Having lived near estuaries all his life, Mr. Parris is passionate about positive change where people, waters, and diverse species converge at the coast and about making science more relevant and useful. Currently, he leads the Science and Resilience Institute at Jamaica Bay in New York City, a partnership between governmental, research, and community organizations aimed at improving resilience in the region’s coastal waters. Previously, he helped develop the Sea Level Rise Tool for Sandy Recovery, an effort to integrate science on future sea level rise with flood insurance information for rebuilding and recovery efforts. He has been involved in integrating sea level rise information into the coastal planning efforts of a number of Federal agencies, as well as the states of California, Maryland, New York, and New Jersey. From 2010 – 2015, Mr. Parris directed NOAA’s Regional Integrated Sciences and Assessments (RISA) program, a national effort to connect science to climate adaptation and preparedness decisions in different regions across the US. With over 50 scientists from the RISA program, he co-edited and co-authored Climate in Context: Science and Society Partnering for Adaptation, an in-depth exploration of techniques for producing usable knowledge and climate services. He enjoys speaking in public and has done so regularly for over 100 audiences large and small, including local and national media outlets. Mr. Parris won a Presidential Green.gov award as Climate Champion, a NOAA Administrator’s Award, and a Bronze medal from the Department of Commerce. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in English Literature and Environmental Geology from Bucknell University and a Master of Science in Geology from the University of Vermont. He lives in Brooklyn with his wife, two kids and dog, who are a constant source of inspiration, humility, and good humor.