Community Engagement Spotlight: Teri Harman

Environmental Humanities graduate student, Teri Harman was a key organizer of The Water Commons: Living Legacies of Utah Waterways held in September, 2025 at the Marriott Library Gould Auditorium. The event was sponsored by Tanner Humanities Center, American West Center, School of the Environment, and Environmental Humanities Program. Below are written answers to questions provided by Ms. Harman. 

A broad range of speakers from various disciplines and backgrounds addressed the event. What priorities did you have in mind when you invited speakers to present at this symposium?  
From the beginning, collaboration was the main priority of Water Commons. We wanted to create new connections, encourage diverse relationships, and foster interdisciplinary understanding. We also aimed to illustrate the complexities and entanglements inherent in Utah's watersheds and water-related issues. That intricacy requires creative interventions, from innovative water policy to improved inclusion of Native nations, to art and storytelling that raise emotional awareness. Layering the sessions with many perspectives and experiences helped us bring awareness to all these layers and possibilities. I love how the sessions turned out; each one felt engaging and informative. Ending the day with a screening of the short PBS documentary Wild Hope and insight from Brad Parry on the Northwestern Band of the Shoshone's Bear River restoration project —a stellar example of creative collaboration to rewild and reclaim a waterway —was absolutely perfect. 

How did your research, coursework, and experiences within the Environmental Humanities Program shape your approach to organizing this symposium?  
My research focuses on communicative strategies for expanding the predominantly negative perception of Utah Lake. While the lake is at its healthiest in 100 years, public opinion stubbornly clings to outdated ideas and conditions. At its core, this is a cultural issue, and culture doesn't change without careful and curious strategies that connect people to places and ideas. One of the things I love most about the Environmental Humanities (EH) Program is the dedication to creating community. EH is also a stellar example of interdisciplinary approaches, which are essentially about making new connections. We spend a considerable amount of time reading, discussing, and creatively engaging with a wide range of issues. Each of my courses and interactions with professors has not only illuminated critical theories to evaluate our challenges but also fostered skills around bringing people together. I relied heavily on these approaches as I planned Water Commons. Essentially, I wanted to expand the EH experience to the attendees.

This event was co-hosted by the Tanner Humanities Center, Environmental Humanities Program, American West Center, and the School of Environment, Society and Sustainability. How did all of these centers, programs, and schools contribute to the symposium? 
Each of the partners provided initial organization, framing of intentions, and suggestions for speakers. Scott Black, director of Tanner Humanities Center, Danielle Endres, director of the EH Program, Paisley Rekdal, director of the American West Center, and Brett Clark with Environment, Society and Sustainability offered valuable guidance at each step. Many of the speakers have connections with these programs, and our diverse sessions would not have been possible without the network of each program. Everyone helped advertise and invite attendees, as well. We enjoyed having students from the EH and ESS programs attend the event. In other words, Water Commons had a fantastic collaborative structure.   
What did you hope people would take away from this event? 
With every event I plan, I want people to have an experience, an encounter that lingers in their minds and emotions. I know they won't remember every statistic or idea, but I do know they will remember how they felt while participating. I hope that participants left Water Commons feeling more connected to our waterways and inspired to learn more and take action. I also hope each person connected with someone new and has a chance for future collaboration. I'm so grateful for all the amazing water-people I got to know during the planning process and the events of the symposium. 

Photo Credits: Trish Griffee