DURHAM, N.C.—Toddi Steelman, Stanback Dean of the Nicholas School of the Environment at Duke University, will give the plenary address at the International Wildland Fire Conference (IWFC) on Thursday, May 18, in Porto, Portugal.

Steelman’s talk, “Managing Wildfire, Governing Ourselves,” will explore how communities and agencies can interact to more effectively manage the large, interjurisdictionally complex wildfires that are now occurring more frequently because of climate change.

Held once every four years, IWFC brings together the world’s leading wildland fire management scholars and practitioners to share new findings and strategies aimed not only at suppressing or preventing the fires, but also addressing their root causes and far-reaching consequences for people and the planet.

Working at the intersection of science, policy, and decision-making, Steelman is widely recognized for her research on community response to wildfire. She is past president of the International Association of Wildland Fire.

She has shared her expertise with scientific bodies worldwide, including the U.S. National Academy of Sciences and the United Kingdom’s Royal Society, and is the author of four books and numerous peer-reviewed papers.

Steelman was recently reappointed to her second five-year term as Stanback Dean of the Nicholas School and has been a leading architect of the Duke Climate Commitment, a campuswide initiative that unites the university’s education, research, operations, and public service missions to address the climate crisis. In recognition of her environmental leadership, the World Wildlife Fund last year appointed her to a three-year term on its Board of Directors.

###