Aerial photo of the Lake Erie coastline with Lakewood in the foreground and the Cleveland skyline in the background

EDU@1UC—“Let’s Talk Lake Erie!: Engineering Water”

The Siegal Lifelong Learning Program will host the next installment of its EDU@1UC series Wednesday, June 12, from 6 to 7:30 p.m. in One University Circle’s Skylounge.

Sunniva Collins, associate professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering, will present “Let’s Talk Lake Erie!: Engineering Water.”

The presentation will cost $7 for Siegal Lifelong Learning Program members and $12 for nonmembers.

Wine (for those 21+) and appetizers will be provided.

Register for the talk.

About the talk

In an era of water stress worldwide, it’s a pivotal time for the Great Lakes. As the shallowest and most southern of these inland seas, Lake Erie has additional challenges.

Erie warms rapidly in the spring and summer, and sometimes freezes over in the winter. It has the shortest retention time of any of the Great Lakes at approximately three years, and supports over half of the commercial fishing in the Great Lakes. It’s also the one most stressed by urbanization and agriculture. The industrial waste of previous generations is giving way to algae blooms, combined sewer overflows, invasive species and single-use plastics.

What we learn and do here in Cleveland to improve and protect Lake Erie’s health can have important impact in the rest of the Great Lakes Basin.