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Marking the 50th anniversary of the tragic sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald, learn the weather science, ship design, and cultural legacy behind one of the Great Lakes' most enduring maritime stories.
Marking the 50th anniversary of the tragic sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald, this special program—presented in partnership between the Milwaukee Public Library and the Wisconsin Academy of Science, Arts, & Letters —will explore how collective loss and regional identity shape our understanding of home. Dr. Steve Ackerman, Wisconsin Academy Fellow and atmospheric scientist, will guide attendees through the weather science, ship design, and cultural legacy behind one of the Great Lakes’ most enduring maritime stories. Rooted in both science and storytelling, the event considers how the Great Lakes have shaped our sense of place and belonging—and how vulnerability to environmental forces continues to connect us across time and region.
About the Speaker: Ackerman moved to Wisconsin in 1987, accepting a research scientist position in the Space Science and Engineering Center. He joined the UW-Madison faculty in the Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences in 1992. Ackerman served as director of the Cooperative Institute for Meteorological Satellite Studies from 1999-2019. This research organization is a collaboration between the UW-Madison, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Wisconsin is widely recognized as the birthplace of weather satellites, and CIMSS is key to Wisconsin’s current reputation.
Recognition awards include being elected fellow to the American Meteorological Society (AMS) in 2014 and the Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters in 2011. He received the AMS Teaching Excellence Award in 2009 and a UW-Madison Chancellor’s Award for Distinguished Teaching in 1999. He is also a recipient of the NASA Exceptional Public Service Medal in 2010
Ackerman, along with professor Jonathan Martin, is one of the “weather guys” who appear monthly on Wisconsin Public Radio to discuss the weather and climate. They also write a weekly blog and a column for the Wisconsin State Journal which answers people’s weather questions.
AGE GROUP: | Older Adults | Adults |
EVENT TYPE: | Special Events | History & Genealogy |