Governor Launches Climate Science Advisory Panel

03:47PM / Sunday, January 14, 2024Print Story | Email Story

BOSTON — The Healey-Driscoll Administration launched a Climate Science Advisory Panel through the new Massachusetts Office of Climate Science (OCS) to provide expertise on statewide climate science and future projections used to inform state and local climate adaptation planning and projects.

The Panel is comprised of experts within Massachusetts and across the region who will advise OCS on the latest advances and applications in climate science related to hazards such as extreme heat, flooding, sea level rise, and health impacts to inform the state's climate adaptation and resilience strategy.

"Our policies and programs must be guided by the latest data and cutting-edge science to better serve and protect our most vulnerable communities against climate change," said EEA Secretary Rebecca Tepper. "We’re building out our capacity across agencies to ensure we’re using the best information to inform our policymakers and community partners. We’ll be guided by some of the top academics in the region through this panel."

Launched in October 2023, OCS was established within the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs as part of the Healey-Driscoll Administration’s ResilientMass Plan. OCS supports agencies, municipalities, and the public in understanding, accessing, and appropriately utilizing the state’s climate change data in planning, policy, and projects. The Climate Science Advisory Panel will provide critical guidance and understanding of climate research findings to support our communities in adapting to a changing climate. Panelists will guide the development of the State of the Climate Science Report that will inform the Commonwealth’s strategy for updating climate projections to incorporate the latest science and ensure projections are designed to serve the needs of priority populations as well as key adaptation sectors.

Climate Science Advisory Panelists

C. Adam Schlosser, PhD

Senior Research Scientist in the Center for Global Change Science, MIT

Dan Li, PhD

Associate Professor of Earth & Environment, Boston University

David Boutt, PhD

Associate Professor of Geosciences, Co-Director of Environmental Science Program, UMass Amherst

Elizabeth Sawin, PhD

Founder and Director, Multisolving Institute

Erin Coughlan de Perez, PhD

Research Director and Dignitas Professor, Tufts University

Senior Advisor, Red Cross/Red Crescent Climate Centre

Gaurab Basu, MD, MPH

Director of Education and Policy at Center for Climate Health and the Global Environment, Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health

Jayne Knott, PhD

Principal and Senior Scientist, JFK Environmental Services

Jon Woodruff, PhD

Professor of Earth, Geographic & Climate Sciences, Co-Director of Northeast Climate Adaptation Center, UMass Amherst/NECASC

Klaus Keller, PhD

Hodgson Distinguished Professor of Engineering, Dartmouth College

Lucy Hutyra, PhD

Professor of Earth & Environment, 2023 MacArthur Fellow, Boston University

M. Patricia Fabian, ScD

Associate Professor of the Department of Environmental Health, Associate Director at the Institute for Global Sustainability, Boston University

Mathew Barlow, PhD

Professor of Climate Science, UMass Lowell

Michael Iacono, MS

Chief Scientist, Blue Hill Observatory and Science Center

Senior Staff Scientist, Verisk - Atmospheric and Environmental Research

Paul Kirshen, PhD

Professor of Climate Adaptation, Research Director of the Stone Living Lab, UMass Boston

Radley Horton, PhD

Professor, Columbia Climate School, Columbia University

Robert DeConto, PhD

Professor of Earth, Geographic and Climate Sciences, Director of School of Earth & Sustainability, UMass Amherst/NECASC

Robert Kopp, PhD

Professor of Earth & Planetary Sciences, Director of the Megalopolitan Coastal Transformation Hub, Co-Director of the University Office of Climate Action, Rutgers University

Sarah Das, PhD

Associate Scientist, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution

Stacey Archfield, PhD

Research Hydrologist, U.S Geological Survey

Susanne Moser, PhD

Director and Principal Researcher, Susanne Moser Research & Consulting

Upmanu Lall, PhD

Global Futures Professor in the School of Complex Adaptive Systems, Director of the Water Institute, Arizona State University

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Toys for Tots Bringing Presents to Thousands of Kids This Year

By Breanna SteeleiBerkshires Staff
12:21PM / Friday, December 05, 2025

Volunteers organize toys by age and gender in the House of Corrections storage facility.

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Plenty of toys are on their way to children this holiday season thanks to Toys for Tots.

Christopher Keegan has coordinated the local toy drive for the Berkshire Chapter of the Marine Corps Reserve since 2015 and said he has seen the need rise every year, last year helping more than 6,000 kids.

"This is 11 years I've been doing it, and the need has gone up every year. It's gone up every year, and I anticipate it going up even more this year," Keegan said.

On Thursday, the Berkshire County House of Corrections storage facility was overflowing with toys making it the county's very own Santa's workshop.

Keegan said Berkshire County always shows up with toys or donations.

"This county is outstanding when it comes to charity. They rally around stuff. They're very giving, they're very generous, and they've been tremendous in this effort, the toys for pride effort, since I've been doing it, our goal is to honor every request, and we've always reached that goal," he said.

Keegan's team is about 20 to 25 volunteers who sort out toys based on age and gender. This week, the crew started collecting from the 230 or so boxes set out around the county on Oct. 1.

"The two age groups that are probably more difficult — there's a newborn to 2s, boys and girls, and 11 to 14, boys and girls. Those are the two challenging ages where we need to focus our attention on a little bit more," he said.

Toys For Tots has about 30 participating schools and agencies that sign up families and individuals who need help putting gifts under the tree. Keegan takes requests right up until the last minute on Christmas.

"We can go out shopping for Christmas. I had sent my daughter out Christmas Eve morning. Hey, we need X amount of toys and stuff, but the requests are still rolling in from individuals, and I don't say no, we'll make it work however we can," he said.

Community members help to raise money or bring in unopened and unused toys. Capeless Elementary student Thomas St. John recently raised $1,000 selling hot chocolate and used the money to buy toys for the drive.

"It's amazing how much it's grown and how broad it is, how many people who were involved," Keegan said.

On Saturday, Live 95.9 personalities Bryan Slater and Marjo Catalano of "Slater and Marjo in the Morning" will host a Toys for Tots challenge at The Hot Dog Ranch and Proprietor's Lodge. Keegan said they have been very supportive of the drive and that they were able to collect more than 3,000 toys for the drive last year.

Volunteer Debbie Melle has been volunteering with Toys for Tots in the county for about five years and said people really showed up to give this year.

"I absolutely love it. It's what we always say. It's organized chaos, but it's rewarding. And what I actually this year, I'm so surprised, because the amount that the community has given us, and you can see that when you see these pictures, that you've taken, this is probably the most toys we've ever gotten," she said. "So I don't know if people just feel like this is a time to give and they're just going above and beyond, but I'm blown away. This year we can barely walk down the aisles for how much, how many toys are here. It's wonderful."

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