Founding an Independent Research Lab to Change our Planetary Future
March 3, 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm
Hybrid: Online and At the Museum
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Founding an Independent Research Lab to Change our Planetary Future
Monday, March 3, 2025, 12:00 – 1:00 p.m.
Earth Theater and online via Zoom
Featuring Suzanne Pierre, Critical Ecology Lab
This lecture is free. Museum admission is not required.
Learn about scientific discoveries directly from the experts in the field. Carnegie Museum of Natural History’s scientific research staff and invited speakers discuss their latest findings on numerous scientific topics at the R.W. Moriarty Science Seminar series.
Click here to register to attend virtually via Zoom. Registration is not necessary to attend in person. Museum admission is not included with the lecture. Visitor Services staff can direct you to Earth Theater on arrival.
Abstract
While it is now largely accepted that the threat climate change poses to humanity is not equally distributed across populations, the relationships between social power dynamics and inequality and the origins of global climate and ecological change are poorly, if at all, understood by the scientific community. Developing a scientific foundation for understanding changing Earth systems processes as they relate to persistent, unequal social systems is the objective of the Critical Ecology Lab. By conducting this type of scientific research in an effort to change basic scientific understanding and practice, public narratives about the Anthropocene, and contribute to a body of evidence to support political action, the Critical Ecology Lab aims to transform who and what global change science is for, and how it is done. Here, Dr. Pierre describes the founding and development of this unique independent research institution and presents examples of the Lab’s approach to socially critical Earth systems research and our vision for liberation work within science.
About Suzanne Pierre
Dr. Suzanne Pierre, a Haitian and Indian ecosystems ecologist and biogeochemist, is a writer and advocate for transformative social change. As founder and executive director of the Critical Ecology Lab, she leads groundbreaking research and community-driven efforts to challenge oppressive systems and address escalating ecological and social crises. Dr. Pierre earned a B.A. in Environmental Studies from New York University, a Ph.D. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology from Cornell University, and was a University of California President’s Postdoctoral Fellow at Berkeley. Her scientific expertise lies in using molecular and stable isotope techniques to study nutrient and carbon cycling in plant and microbial communities under climate change.
As the pioneer of critical ecology, Dr. Pierre combines scientific methodologies with decolonial and liberation theories to explore the links between global ecological change and the legacies of colonialism and capitalism. She speaks and writes passionately about the intersections of identity, liberation, and ecology, collaborating with artists to amplify these themes through exhibitions worldwide.
A recipient of the National Geographic Wayfinder Award, Dr. Pierre’s work continues to inspire innovative approaches to environmental and social justice.
