The Loyola University New Orleans Institute for Environmental Communication graduated its 10th class of fellows in November.

Housed in the College of Social Sciences School of Mass Communication, the IEC brings together a diverse group of citizens, including environmentalists, scientists, journalists, industrialists, activists, politicians, government employees, teachers and business people, for evening sessions to discuss issues of vital environmental importance to the region and nation. The IEC Fellows Program is modeled after the highly regarded Institute of Politics that has been offered by Loyola University since 1968. The IEC’s first sessions began in Fall 1999.

This year’s IEC Fellows include:

"This graduating class brings the total of IEC Fellows to more than 200," said Robert A. Thomas, Ph.D., director of the Center for Environmental Communication. "Experiences gained in IEC sessions prepare fellows to take proactive roles in resolving environmental challenges that may lead to successful sustainable solutions."

"The IEC class really stretched my thinking and awareness about many environmental problems," said coastal scientist Guerry O. Holm, Jr., Ph.D., a 2007 IEC Fellow from the LSU School of the Coast and Environment. "We are fortunate as a state to have IEC working on critical environmental issues."

For more information on the IEC, contact Thomas at 504-865-2107 or rathomas@loyno.edu. For more information on the College of Social Sciences, contact Catherine Koppel in the Office of Public Affairs at 504-861-5448 or ckoppel@loyno.edu