Winter focus of Huxley Speaker Series to be on the Salish Sea; first talk set for Jan. 10

Ginny Broadhurst (director of WWU’s Salish Sea Institute), Natalie Baloy (assistant director of the Salish Sea Institute), Laurie Trautman (director of WWU’s Border Policy Research Institute) and Lydia Dennee-Lee (Student Engagement and Learning Coordinator for the Salish Sea Institute)  will present "Research and Learning Across the Borders of the Salish Sea" as part of the WWU Huxley College of the Environment Speaker Series at 4:45 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 10 in Academic West 204 on the Western Washington University campus.

The talk is free and open to the public, and complimentary parking is available in Lot 12-A after 4 p.m. on Thursday.

For Winter Quarter, 2019, Huxley College of the Environment is partnering with the Salish Sea Institute to present the Huxley Speaker Series: Salish Sea Focus, 10 presentations on research and challenges in the Salish Sea.  Each talk will be Thursday at 4:30 p.m. in AW-204.

What are the social, economic, and environmental impacts of our region’s borders? How is the future of the Salish Sea shaped by our past and current relationships and policies? Why is it important to learn about and from where we are?

Ginny Broadhurst is the first Director of the Salish Sea Institute at WWU. She started in June 2017. From 2007 to 2017 she was the executive director of the Northwest Straits Commission (NWSC); prior to that she held staff positions at NWSC and at the Puget Sound Action Team in Olympia. She has expertise in stewardship, protection and restoration of the Salish Sea. She’s served on numerous regional and international advisory groups related to marine debris, ocean acidification, marine protected areas and coastal ecosystem health. Ginny earned a bachelor's degree in Environmental Conservation from the University of New Hampshire and a master's degree in Marine Affairs from the University of Washington. 

Natalie Baloy is the assistant director of Canada House Programs, which includes the BPRI, the Center for Canadian-American Studies, and the Salish Sea Institute. She is committed to facilitating place-based learning and connecting across borders and boundaries. Originally from Ohio, Natalie has lived on the Pacific Coast for over ten years. She completed her master's degree and doctorate in cultural anthropology at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, and lived on Orcas Island while writing her dissertation. From 2014-2016, she moved to California for a postdoctoral fellowship with the UC Center for Collaborative Research for an Equitable California. She is committed to facilitating place-based learning and connecting across borders and boundaries. 

Laurie Trautman is the director of the Border Policy Research Institute. She engages in a range of research activities focused on the U.S.–Canada border, particularly in the Washington – British Columbia region. Topics include trade, transportation, security, and human mobility. In addition to working with faculty and students, she collaborates with the private sector and government agencies to advance policy solutions that balance cross-border flows with the need for efficiency and security. Laurie participates in working groups that are actively engaged in the U.S. – Canada relationship, including the International Mobility and Trade Corridor Program and the Canada – U.S. Transportation Border Working Group. She co-chairs the Border Issues working group of the Pacific Northwest Economic Region and was recently appointed to the steering committee for the Cascadia Innovation Corridor. She holds a doctorate in Geography from the University of Oregon, a master's degree from Montana State University, and a bachelor's degree from Western Washington University in Environmental Economics.

Lydia Dennee-Lee is the Salish Sea Institute Student Engagement and Leaning coordinator.

The Huxley College Speaker Series, sponsored by Western’s Huxley College of the Environment, is intended to bring together environmentally-minded members of the WWU and Bellingham communities. Speakers address topics of contemporary environmental concern in the region and the world. The Winter 2019 Speaker Series is co-sponsored by WWU’s Salish Sea Institute.

WWU’s Huxley College of the Environment is one of the oldest environmental colleges in the nation and a recognized leader in producing the next generation of environmental professionals and stewards. Huxley’s distinctive, interdisciplinary curriculum reflects a broad view of the physical, biological, social, and cultural world, and has earned international recognition for quality.

For more information, please contact WWU’s Huxley College of the Environment at (360) 650-2949 or visit the website: https://huxley.wwu.edu/huxley-college-speaker-series.

For more information or disability accommodation contact Stefan Freelan at stefan@wwu.edu. WWU is an equal opportunity institution.