An Earth Science view of End of the Range: Charlotte Skinner in the Eastern Sierra with Julie Ferguson, Ph.D., and Valerie A. Olson, Ph.D.

Join us for a dynamic and enriching conversation in the gallery with Julie Ferguson, Ph.D., Earth System Science professor at UC Irvine and Valerie A. Olson, Ph.D., Anthropology professor at UC Irvine as they bring fresh insight to this exhibition that explores the artistry of Charlotte B. Skinner (1879-1963). Ferguson and Olson will explore the geological and social histories of the Sierra Nevada and Owens Valley desert as captured in Skinner’s paintings, providing visitors with fresh insights and new perspectives on the artwork.

This event is free and open to the public. No advanced registration is required.

About the speakers

Julie Ferguson, Ph.D., is an Associate Teaching Professor in the Department of Earth System Science at UC Irvine where she teaches a range of courses including oceanography, geology, and hydrology. Her research background is reconstructing how climate changed in the past using the chemical composition of shells and deep-sea sediments. She now works on projects related to assessing and improving students' scientific literacy and understanding of the Earth system.

Valerie Olson, Ph.D., is an environmental anthropologist who researches sociocultural dimensions of large-scale ecosystem science and governance in North America. Her projects focus on how remote and largely unpopulated environments, like outer space and ocean subsurfaces, become important sites in the production of new ecological knowledge, technologies, and politics.