Ivor Van Heerden, the Louisiana coastal scientist whose forensic investigation team probed the causes of the flooding in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, has been denied tenure by Louisiana State University and fired as deputy director of the LSU Hurricane Center. While the University has declined to comment, citing confidentiality requirements, this reeks of the worst kind of academic cowardice.
As leader of Team Louisiana, Van Heerden oversaw a report highly critical of the Army Corps of Engineering, reaching conclusions that he echoed in public statements. LSU, apparently fearful of losing federal grants, "asked" Van Heerden to desist public statements on the grounds that he lacked the engineering qualifications to make them. Now, consider a couple of points:
- whatever statements Van Heerden made came not from some arcane LSU academic committee but from his capacity as leader of a state task force investigating one of the most significant events in Louisiana history;
- as head of the task force, Van Heerden was practically obligated to be its public face. His criticism of the ACE were informed by the collective expertise and conclusions of Team Louisiana and were not a result of him playing cowboy. (That was President Bush's job.)
Above all, an academic researcher must feel free to go where the facts lead him or her. That LSU bowed to real or imagined pressure from the Bush Administration -- when its proper role was to have Van Heerden's back -- is a stain on its reputation. For shame. (Editilla and Foxessa have more here and here.)...
Team Louisiana researchers discuss forensic developments at a section of the 17th Street Canal breach (photo: Team LA 2005)
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Rushbo Stupidism of the Day (and it's choice):
In the first place, we're making a big mistake by calling them the Somali pirates. These are not pirates. These are merchant marine organizers. They are using the same techniques that community organizers like ACORN and others in this country use. So, from now on, to be totally, purely accurate, the Somali pirates on this program -- I'll probably slip up a couple times and call them that -- but, they're going to be known now as the merchant marine organizers.
What a wit...
Friday's Choice: The great Aussie band Rose Tattoo is "Scarred For Life":
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