The first Science Mondays Lecture Series of the spring semester focused on climate change and its impact on the Earth.

Held on January 27, the first event of the series featured Dr. Catherine Duckett, associate dean of the School of Science at Monmouth University, who is a local expert on climate change. Duckett, an evolutionary biologist, has presented on the topic of climate change in a number of different venues, including CNN’s Climate Crisis Town Hall, and teaches a number of courses at Monmouth University about the climate change and its impacts. She argued that climate change is an emergency for a number of reasons including extreme weather, heavy rainfall and damage to ecosystems that are crucial for our survival.

The next Science Mondays Lecture Series is scheduled for February 24 at 6:30 p.m. in the Twin Lights room of the Student Life Center. Guy Downers, consultant for the solar panel installation firm Sea Bright Solar, will be speaking about the rise of solar power. He will discuss the federal and state assistance programs available to homeowners for the installation of pollution-free solar power and the roadblocks to growing solar power in the state. He will also compare employment opportunities in the solar and fossil fuel industries. The event is free and open to the public.

The Science Mondays Lecture Series is a joint effort between Brookdale’s Science Club and the Jersey Shore Sierra Club.