Munich Professor Presents on Climate Change and Flooding at SUNY Canton

An international faculty member will address environmental sustainability and flood resilience during a two-week visit to SUNY Canton.

Professor Thomas Ackermann, Ph.D., from the Munich University of Applied Science in Germany, is the latest faculty member to continue a collaborative agreement between the two colleges.

"Climate change is going to continue to affect everyone worldwide,” said SUNY Canton Professor and sustainability advocate Matthew J. Burnett. “Dr. Ackermann will share his expertise and professional experience to help us plan for and mitigate floods caused by rising waters and unplanned weather events.”

Ackermann will visit the college from Sept. 4 to 16 to share his expertise on building for flood resilience, flood mitigation, and an interdisciplinary approach to environmental sustainability. He will meet with students from the engineering technology programs, various science classes, and business programs.

He will also be sharing his experiences in two free public lectures:

• At 6 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 7, in Nevaldine North 102, Ackermann will present “Zukunft Gestalten [Shaping the Future] – Sustainability from the Perspective of Munich University of Applied Sciences and its participation at the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change World Climate Congresses.
• At 6 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 14, in Nevaldine North 102, the visiting international professor will present “Floods and Flash Floods-Risk Mitigation Strategies for a Changing Environment.”

Both presentations are open to the public.

“Students in the Civil and Environmental Engineering Technology Program will benefit from Dr. Ackermann’s presentations,” said SUNY Canton Associate Professor Adrienne C. Rygel, Ph.D. “It is also an excellent opportunity for engineering and geology professionals to gain professional development hours for maintaining their licensure."

Ackermann’s visit is part of an ongoing agreement between SUNY Canton and Munich University of Applied Sciences. Burnett previously visited Germany as a teaching fellow in 2018, and ergonomics specialist Johannes Brombach visited the north country as a Fulbright Scholar. The arrangement encourages faculty and classroom exchanges between the two colleges. It is supported by SUNY Canton President Zvi Szafran, Provost Peggy A. De Cooke, the Canton College Foundation and the Canino School of Engineering Technology.