Eric Coleman, Henderson Professor of Political Science at Florida State University, will present "Democracy and Income Inequality Moderate the Socioeconomic Impact of Protected Areas."

Dr. Coleman studies how and why people act collectively to solve environmental problems.  He completed his doctoral work under the late, Nobel Laureate, Elinor Ostrom. Professor Coleman has published many peer-reviewed articles on these topics. His research appears in some of the top general science journals (PNAS, Nature Sustainability) as well as the top disciplinary journals of political science (AJPS), policy analysis, and human-environment interactions. His research extends our knowledge of environmental governance by systematically measuring and quantifying the effects that different types of policy have on the sustainable use of resources. Recent projects include examining oil and gas extraction in Uganda and forest restoration programs in Northern India.

The Energy and Environment Forum seminar series is an opportunity to have an interdisciplinary conversation about energy and environmental issues. While many UTK departments and colleges have seminar series that touch on these topics, these seminars tend to take a more disciplinary focus that reflects the theories, methods, and perspectives of those units. The university and the broader community is filled with individuals with different perspectives on energy and environmental issues. The Forum is an opportunity for those different perspectives to come together to form a more complete picture of the energy and environmental issues facing our community, Tennessee, the United States, and the world. Come prepared to learn, ask questions and challenge your viewpoint. As Senator Baker used to say “The other guy might be right.”