EVENT: The Climate & Urban Sustainability Program and the School of Social Ecology at the University of California, Irvine will present “Igniting Solutions,” a half-day symposium featuring experts discussing the lessons learned from the recent wildfires in Los Angeles and focusing on what other California communities, like Orange County, can do to prepare.

WHEN/WHERE: 9:30 a.m.-2 p.m. Friday, May 9, in Room 1517 of UC Irvine’s Social and Behavioral Sciences Gateway building (bldg. 214, grid D6 on this campus map: https://web.communications.uci.edu/assets/email/dfa-tds/TDS-Website/maps/Main_UCIrvine-Map.pdf)

INFORMATION: Media planning to attend should contact Cara Capuano at 949-501-9192 or ccapuano@uci.edu.

Parking is available in the Social Sciences Parking Structure at 4502 Campus Drive, at the intersection with Stanford Court (labeled SSPS, grid D6-7 on campus map above). Parking is complimentary for media who RSVP in advance.

HIGHLIGHTS:

9 a.m. Breakfast

9:30 a.m. Rep. Dave Min will provide introductory remarks.

9:45 a.m. Panel 1: Physical systems, featuring James Randerson, UC Irvine Ralph J. and Carol M. Cicerone Professor of Earth System Science; Madison Killebrew, manager of fire prevention and management program at Irvine Ranch Conservancy; and Brett Sanders, UC Irvine Chancellor’s Professor of civil and environmental engineering. Moderated by Nícola Ulibarrí, UC Irvine associate professor of urban planning and public policy.

10:30 a.m. Panel 2: Social systems, featuring Michael Méndez, UC Irvine assistant professor of urban planning and public policy; Doug Houston, UC Irvine professor of urban planning and public policy; and Suellen Hopfer, UC Irvine associate professor of health, society and behavior. Moderated by Mukul Kumar, UC Irvine assistant professor of urban planning and public policy.

11:30 a.m. Panel 3: Policy and planning, featuring Julie Coffey, UC Irvine campus reserves manager; Nick Freeman, chief of Orange County Fire Authority Division 2; and Nícola Ulibarrí, UC Irvine associate professor of urban planning and public policy. Moderated by David Feldman, professor emeritus of urban planning and public policy and director of Water UCI.

12:15 p.m. Lunch

12:45 p.m. Keynote speaker: Francisco Sánchez Jr., former associate administrator of the U.S. Small Business Administration Office of Disaster Recovery & Resiliency.

1:15 p.m. Discussion and call to action

BACKGROUND: “As highly destructive wildfires increase in California, and FEMA and the insurance sector rethink the roles they will play going forward, it is vitally important that universities organize events like this to help communities understand the risks they face and what they can do to reduce vulnerability, respond effectively and recover quickly,” said event moderator Richard Matthew, UC Irvine professor of urban planning and public policy as well as director of the Climate & Urban Sustainability Program.

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