Laureate Lecture - Dr. Matt Becker
Monday, April 7, 2025
1:30pm-2:30pm in the USU Ballrooms
Every year the College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics (CNSM) Student Council invites a laureate to the Cal State Long Beach campus to speak to our students, faculty, staff, and community.
Our Laureate Lecturer for 2025 is Dr. Matt Becker, who was named the 2024 Darcy Distinguished Lecturer by the National Ground Water Association and Groundwater Foundation.
All are welcome to attend.
The presentation can also be viewed live via Zoom webinar.
Registration
No registration is needed to attend the in-person presentation in the USU Ballroom.
If you are attending via Zoom, a short registration is needed.
Lecture: The Importance of Groundwater to the People and Ecosystems of the Pacific Islands
Abstract: The Pacific Ocean is host to more than 30,000 islands, the vast majority of which are small, remote, and vulnerable to climate variability. Groundwater plays an important role in the resilience of these isolated environments. On many islands, groundwater has long been the only reliable source of drinking water. We will see, for example, how groundwater was a critical resource for the first settlers of Rapa Nui (Easter Island). Groundwater also helps explain how coral reefs can flourish in the midst of a nutrient desert (Darwin's Paradox). It turns out that groundwater is an important transport mechanism for nutrients from terrestrial to ocean biomes and our recent field investigations in French Polynesia shed some light on these processes. Sea level rise will disrupt and potentially overwhelm some of these incredibly unique and biologically critical ecosystems. An improved understanding of hydrogeologic systems and their interactions with marine life surrounding Pacific islands will be essential for strategic adaptation to increased settlement, climate change, and sea level rise.
About Dr. Matt Becker
Matt Becker is the Conrey Chair in Hydrogeology and Professor of Earth Sciences at California State University, Long Beach, USA. He holds degrees in Geology and Civil Engineering and has worked with Chevron USA, Los Alamos National Labs, the U.S Geological Survey, NASA Goddard Space Center, the University at Buffalo, and has been awarded Fulbright scholarships for Italy and Australia. Matt's primary focus of research is fluid flow in highly heterogeneous subsurface environments.
See also: Dr. Matt Becker Profile
About the Darcy Distinguished Lecturer
"The Henry Darcy Distinguished Lecture Series in Groundwater Science fosters interest and excellence in groundwater science and technology. It was established in 1986 and named in honor of Henry Darcy of France for his 1856 investigations that established the physical basis upon which groundwater hydrogeology has been studied ever since.
Each year, a panel of scientists and engineers invites an outstanding groundwater professional to share his or her work with their peers and students through this lecture series. The Darcy Lecture Series is most often presented at universities and professional associations throughout the world."
-From Groundwater Lecture Series - National Ground Water Association (NGWA)
See announcements:
- Matt Becker Recognized by the National Ground Water Association
- Becker Named 2024 Darcy Distinguished Lecturer by National Ground Water Association and Groundwater Foundation
Past Laureate Lecturers
A laureate has been invited to speak to the Cal State Long Beach campus nearly every year since 1976. A list of these guest speakers can be found on CNSM Laureate Lecturer Series archive.
The series was originally named the Nobel Laureate Lecturer Series, but in 2023 the scope was expanded to include other prestigious awards; this has enabled the CNSM Student Council to invite professionals from a more diverse range of fields.
