Details

The 2022 SCS CONFERENCE  (SCS2022)

MAIN THEME:

The main theme of the conference is “Earth and Environmental Stewardship.”  This topic will be examined from both a scientific and theological standpoint.  A broad range of environmental topics will be addressed, including pollution, climate, water, resource management, and biodiversity,  There will also be talks on topics not related to the main theme.

VENUE AND TIMES:   

The conference will be held on June 3-5, 2022, at the conference center of Mundelein Seminary (also called University of St. Mary of the Lake Seminary), renowned for its scenic beauty, and a popular location for retreats and conferences. See this MAP OF THE MUNDELEIN CAMPUS.  Attendees will stay in the Conference Center Lodging (Building E on map); meals and receptions will be in the Dining Hall (Building B); and lectures will be in the Conference Center (Building D).

On Friday evening, June 3, there will be an informal buffet dinner at 6:00 PM, followed by the Opening Reception starting at 8:00 PM.  The lectures are given on Saturday morning and afternoon and on Sunday morning. In early Sunday afternoon there will be the annual “member meeting” of SCS.

INVITED & CONTRIBUTED TALKS:

As in previous SCS annual conferences, there will be about six invited talks and six contributed talks.  Contributed talks are 25 minutes, with 5 minutes Q&A.  The six invited speakers have confirmed: Prof. Damien Marie Savino, FSE, of Aquinas College in Michigan (PhD in Environmental Engineering) will give a talk on the theology of Pope Francis’s encyclical Laudato Si’. Guest lecturer Prof. Kerry Emanuel of MIT will speak about hurricanes and how climatic changes might affect them.  SCS member Prof. Robert Horton of Iowa State University will speak on soil as a vital resource affecting water, food, climate, bioenergy, and transportation.  Prof. Marie I. George of St. John’s University will speak about  Catholic Environmentalism from St. Augustine to recent popes.  Dr. John F. Bratton of LimnoTech and formerly of NOAA will speak about large ecosystem restoration and the Great Lakes;  Br. Guy Consolmagno, Director of the Vatican Observatory, will give the St. Albert Award Lecture.

SUBMITTING ABSTRACTS for contributed talks and poster presentations:

We encourage SCS members and associates to submit abstracts.  The deadline for abstracts of contributed talks is April 1, 2022.  Abstracts for posters can be submitted up until at least May 15. Indicate whether you want the abstract to be considered as a contributed talk or as a poster presentation (or as either). Talks do not have to be on the main theme of the conferenc, but some preference will be given to talk abstracts that are.  Poster presentations can be on any subject.  Depending on how many posters are submitted, there will be either one or two Poster Sessions.  There will be a section for more technical posters on the presenter’s own research, and sections for posters on the conference theme or other topics of broader interest.  Abstracts should be no longer than 300 words and should be sent as a Word document to smpbarr@gmail.com  A committee will decide on them in early April.

CONFERENCE PROGRAM & SCHEDULE:

Here is the SCHEDULE of the conference.  It is subject to minor changes.

TRAVEL AND LODGING:

Mundelein Seminary is about a 40-minute drive from O’Hare International Airport (the closest airport).  From O’Hare one can take a taxi, Uber, or Lyft. A good taxi service is American Taxi 847-255-9600. Presumably most attendees will want to stay at the conference venue during the conference (i.e. for the nights of June 3 and 4), as that is included for those who register for the conference.  Those who need to come a day early or stay a day late due to flight schedules can easily secure a room at an airport hotel near O’Hare for the extra nights. (There are also some hotels in the viciinty of the conference venue.)

The best place to PARK at the conference or to be dropped off by taxi or Uber is the “purple parking lot” on the Mundelein campus. See the MAP OF THE MUNDELEIN CAMPUS.  (It is best to enter into google maps or GPS “St. Mary’s on the Lake, Mundelein, IL” as that will take you directly to the purple parking lot.)

REGISTRATION FEE & REGISTRATION FORM:

We will have a registration form up in early March and we will email a link to it to all SCS members and associates.  (Do not share that link with anyone else, as otherwise people not eligible to attend may register, which will crate myriad problems for the organizers).  The undiscounted registration fee is $275. For students (grad or undergrad) it will be half of that amount, and for members of religious orders the fee will be waived altogether (though registration is still required).  The registration fee will cover all one’s meals at the conference as well as rooms at the conference venue for the two nights of the conference.

LIVE STREAMING of TALKS:  At present, the plan is to live stream the talks.  At some point before the conference the live stream links will be posted on this page.  Anyone will be able to watch the talks by going to those links, without any registration or fee.

COVID-19 PRECAUTIONS:  The conference will follow whatever COVID-19 rules are imposed by law or by Mundelein Seminary at the time of the conference

More information will be posted here as it becomes available.  If you have questions, email smpbarr@gmail.com