THIBODAUX, La. – Nicholls State University is set to host The Global Conversation, an international summit focused on environmental concerns. This free, hybrid event is open to the community and will be livestreamed by the United Nations and available to attend via Zoom or in person on Nicholls’ campus in Powell Hall Room 208 on July 17 from 1:30 to 4:30 p.m.
“Young people from around the world are stepping up to protect biodiversity and preserve culture,” said Kellie Daniels, founder of Students Against Species Extinction and lecturer at Newcastle University. “By bringing together students, scientists, and storytellers from around the world, this summit highlights the power of collaboration and reminds us that environmental challenges are deeply connected and form part of a global story that affects us all.”
Topics to be covered include global connections, communication, conservation and cultural exchange. Presenters for the summit include:
- Windell Curole – Former Director of the Barataria-Terrebonne National Estuary Program
- Gary LaFleur – Professor of Biological Sciences and Director of the Center for Bayou Studies, Nicholls State University
- Laci Melancon – Executive Director of Nicholls State University’s Coastal Center
- Dr. Alisha Renfro – Lead Scientist, Mississippi River Delta coalition, National Wildlife Foundation
- Anne-Marie Lacey & Jonathan Ward – Senior Lecturers in Public Relations, Newcastle University, United Kingdom
- Dr Paulina Kuranchie, Dr Jesus Salazar & Patience Mathambo – Lecturers in Public Relations, Newcastle University, United Kingdom
- Kellie Daniels – Founder of Students Against Species Extinction, Lecturer, Newcastle University, United Kingdom
- Dr. Rob MacKay – Senior Lecturer in Composition, Newcastle University, United Kingdom
In addition, Nicholls will host academics from Newcastle University for an environmental road trip. The group will tour Nicholls Coastal Center, the Wetlands Acadian Cultural Center, the fishing community within Cocodrie, the Chauvin Sculpture Garden, and the Louisiana Universities Marine Consortium in addition to participating in The Global Conversation Summit.
“We are very excited to host this event. Thanks to the generous support from the Matherne family and grants from the National Wildlife Federation and Restore the Mississippi River Delta, we have been able to work with colleagues and students from Newcastle for the past two years,” said Dr. James Stewart, head of the Nicholls Mass Communication Department. “This has allowed our students to broaden their horizons and develop an understanding that people around the world face many of the same challenges posed by environmental change that we face in South Louisiana. This summer we are pleased to show our guests the special place that is the Bayou Region.”
“The Coastal Center at Nicholls State University stands at the intersection of local resilience and global urgency. As south Louisiana faces rising seas, land loss and cultural displacement, our students, faculty and researchers—working in collaboration with local, state, federal and global partners—are leading efforts that not only safeguard our coast but also contribute vital knowledge to the world’s response to coastal and environmental challenges. The work happening here is rooted in our region—but its impact reaches far beyond it,” said Laci Melancon, executive director of the Coastal Center at Nicholls.
Nicholls State University strives to be a coastal champion for Louisiana and beyond. The Coastal Center’s collaborative space will allow scientists from all over the state and beyond, including those from Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority, the Water Institute of the Gulf and Nicholls biological sciences and geomatics departments, to collaborate and advance research in repairing and rebuilding the state’s receding coastline.
These events were made possible through the Mass Communication Department’s Nancy Sanderson Matherne Institute for Global Communication where students are learning these concerns are worldwide, with many organizations pursuing similar environmental communications efforts to protect their habitats and cultures.
To register for The Global Conversation, click here.
Those who plan to attend the event on Nicholls’ campus, please RSVP to lindsay.pellegrin@nicholls.edu.
To attend the event virtually via Zoom, use the meeting ID 823 9372 2597.
To learn more about Nicholls Coastal Center, click here.
To learn more about the guest speakers, click the images below.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Tuesday, July 1, 2025
MEDIA CONTACT: Payton Suire
Media Relations & Publications Coordinator,
985.448.4141 or payton.suire@nicholls.edu