Seminars, News, and Events

Stay current with the Department of Earth & Environmental Sciences — from our weekly seminar series featuring visiting scientists and departmental researchers to student awards, fieldwork, and recent discoveries. Check back for upcoming talks and the latest news from our labs and field sites.

Department Newsletter

Photograph of an audience seated at tables in a room watching a presentation on a screen.

Shield web divider

McWilliams Seminar Series

Aerial view of a marshland with waterways and golden-brown vegetation.

The "W. Kent McWilliams Geological Research Fund" was formally established in 1980 by Kent McWilliams, an alumnus of Tulane University and co-founder of the McMoRan Exploration Company, to provide essential support for the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences (EENS), which was then known as the Department of Geology. A key provision of this endowment was the establishment of the weekly McWilliams Seminar Series.

Learn More

Lunch & Learn Series

The EENS Lunch & Learn Series is an informal professional development and networking program for students, faculty, staff, and alumni. Invited speakers share insights on their career paths, research, industry experience, and emerging issues in the environmental field. Sessions offer a chance to learn about diverse career options, gain practical advice, and connect with professionals in academia, government, nonprofit, and private sectors. Additional speakers and topics will be announced as they are confirmed.

Fall 2026

September 14th	Luke Lamb-Wotton	Global-scale patterns and drivers of mangrove soil carbon and nitrogen vertical fluxes
September 28th	Keena Kareem	GIS
October 12th	Chase Cromwell	Getting a professional geoscientist license in Louisiana
October 26	Goli Pourhalaji	“A Race Between a Sphere and a Flake: Can We Predict How Fast Gold Grains Fall?”
November 4th	Rachael Carrington and Christopher Newcomb	Travel, expense, and reimbursement process review
November 9th	Faculty	TBD
November 30th	Cirus Kalugana	TBD

EENS News

Photograph of a panel discussion with four people seated on armchairs in front of a teal backdrop.

October 24th, 2026

From AI to Critical Minerals, SSE Faculty Take on Energy’s Biggest Challenges

From discovering new superconductors to recovering critical minerals and preparing communities for disasters, faculty from Tulane’s School of Science and Engineering brought a range of expertise to the Tulane Energy Forum. Across the multi-day event, they explored how research and engineering can help meet growing energy needs while improving efficiency and resilience.

A blonde woman wearing glasses speaks at a desk with a microphone.

October 12th, 2026

Alumna Abigail Eckland ‘18 Brings an Upstream Perspective Home

The Tulane graduate returned for the McWilliams Seminar Series to share new research connecting sediment trapped behind dams to water-storage challenges and the future of coastal deltas.

Close-up photograph of an older man with graying hair and a white beard.

October 7th, 2026

EES Alumni Spotlight: Kevin McMichael, BS ‘77

Tulane geoscience degree facilitated a consulting career via broad knowledge & critical thinking. Mineralogy & field trips were key. Advice: expertise, mentorship.

Photo of glaciers in frozen water and cloudy blue sjy

October 7th, 2026

Tulane study finds Southern Ocean plays key role in global ocean oxygen levels

Ocean oxygen decline may not solely depend on temperature. Research shows levels rose then fell in a warm period, suggesting Southern Ocean transport is key.

Photograph of a panel discussion on a stage with an audience in the foreground.

October 5th, 2026

Future of Energy Forum Connects Tulane Research, Industry and the Next Generation of Energy Leaders

Energy, in the simplest terms, depends on connections. Resources must be connected to the infrastructure needed to produce energy. Supply chains must be linked to the materials that make that infrastructure possible, and power plants, pipelines and electrical grids must be joined to the homes and businesses that rely on them.