When news breaks about a major world event, whether it is a Syrian government decisions to conduct gas attacks on its citizens or a natural disaster impacting thousands of lives in South Texas, one of the first questions leaders and citizens alike ask is, “Okay, so what’s next?”
Presented by the Bush School, a new series called “What’s Next?” aims to answer that question by addressing the major events and issues that grab our attention. The first program in this series will be “Hurricane Harvey: The Road to Recovery” which will be held on Thursday, September 14, 2017, at the Memorial Student Center, room 2401, from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m.
Hurricane Harvey has been devastating to Houston and the surrounding areas, and the long-term effects are still unknown. The estimated damage is expected to be approximately $190 billion, resulting from thirty inches of rain the massive storm dumped on Houston. Three Bush School professors, Dr. Danny Davis, Dr. Dave McIntyre, and Professor Ron Sievert, will discuss the road forward for Houston and the surrounding communities at the event. Bush School professor Dr. Justin Bullock will moderate.
While there is no set schedule for presentations in the series, the timing and topics will be completely driven by the headline; this type of rapid-response series is designed to address events in real time, as they occur, with faculty from the Bush School discussing policy issues and options that are available to decision-makers.
Bush School Dean Mark Welsh noted that the Bush School has experts in many areas of government policy who can help people understand what options are possible after a major news event. Depending on the event, there are also remarkable scholars from other colleges on campus who could contribute to a multi-faceted discussion of “What’s Next?”
“This idea came from a conversation I had with President Michael Young, and I’m delighted we have the opportunity to make it a reality,” said Dean Welsh. “Our faculty members can be a tremendous resource as people try to evaluate what’s happened and how we can move forward after a major event such as Hurricane Harvey. This new series will enable us to provide timely information from experts who have unique experience and expertise that will help people understand a particular event and what the future holds for those impacted by it.”
The series is open to the public, and no registration is required.
