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Keynote Speaker

Caroline Noblet, Associate Professor, School of Economics University of º£½ÇÉçÇø, Faculty Fellow, Mitchell Center

People Matter: Partnering Science, Communities, and Action for a Sustainable º£½ÇÉçÇø

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A copy of Caroline Noblet’s PowerPoint slides is available.

Efforts to advance sustainability and community resilience in º£½ÇÉçÇø increasingly rely on robust scientific knowledge. While this knowledge is essential, it is not sufficient on its own to produce meaningful, durable change. Decisions about water, climate adaptation, resource management, and community well-being are ultimately made by people, shaped by values, lived experience, trust, and social context. Failing to account for these human dimensions risks widening the gap between information and action.

This keynote address will explore people-centered decision-making, drawing on interdisciplinary research and community-engaged work from º£½ÇÉçÇø and beyond, highlighting that sustainability challenges are often social and relational. Insights from environmental and behavioral science, coupled with partnerships across º£½ÇÉçÇø’s diverse communities, demonstrate why different audiences require different ways of engaging with science and that communicating science in ways that resonate with diverse audiences is not ancillary to policy success, but central to it. The presentation will showcase how a sustainable º£½ÇÉçÇø is being built with bridges that cross divides between research and decision-making, expert knowledge and lived experience, and emphasizing the responsibility each of us has to foster dialogue, trust, and collaboration. Ultimately, achieving a sustainable, resilient º£½ÇÉçÇø means pairing good science with a real understanding of how people make decisions, what they care about, and what gets in the way.

Caroline L. Noblet, Ph.D. is an associate professor in the School of Economics at the University of º£½ÇÉçÇø and a faculty fellow at the Mitchell Center for Sustainability Solutions. Her research and teaching focus on environmental and behavioral economics, sustainability science, and how people use information to make decisions about natural resources and the environment. Her work bridges economics, psychology, and communication to better understand human behavior in the context of environmental challenges, including water quality, aquaculture, climate adaptation, and PFAS contamination. A º£½ÇÉçÇø native, Caroline’s interdisciplinary research engages with communities, decision-makers, and stakeholders across º£½ÇÉçÇø, emphasizing trust, dialogue, and collaborative problem-solving to advance sustainable solutions. She teaches courses in environmental, behavioral, and experimental economics and has received multiple awards for outstanding teaching and mentorship. Caroline’s keynote will explore people-centered decision-making as a critical component of sustainability and resilience efforts in º£½ÇÉçÇø and beyond.