Connecticut’s location in the northwest Atlantic and the geologic history of New England influence the character and magnitude of the consequences of climate change. The presentation will summarize the observed changes in climate and the latest projections of what is likely. The consequences of these changes on infrastructure and people will also be outlined.
Who: James O’Donnell, Ph.D., Professor of Marine Sciences, University of Connecticut, and Executive Director of Connecticut Institute for Resilience and Climate Adaptation
When: Wednesday January 21, 2026 | Reception: 5:30pm | Presentation: 6:00pm
Where: TBD
About the Speaker:
Jim O’Donnell is a Professor of Marine Sciences, and Executive Director of the Connecticut Institute for Resilience and Climate Adaptation (CIRCA) at the University of Connecticut. He earned a B.Sc. (Hons) in Applied Physics from the University of Strathclyde and then an M.S. and Ph.D. in Oceanography from the University of Delaware. He joined the faculty at University of Connecticut in 1987. Since then, he has been studying the processes that determine the character of the circulation and transport of materials in the coastal ocean using observations and mathematics. Much of his work has focused on Long Island Sound. In 2014 he was appointed to lead the development of CIRCA, an interdisciplinary Institute focused on helping Connecticut’s towns and agencies anticipate and adapt to the effects of climate change.