Celebrating Dr. Tracy Irani’s Contributions to FloridaWCA

Dr. Tracy Irani, Department Chair of the Department of Family, Youth and Community Sciences at the University of Florida, is a founding member of the Florida Water and Climate Alliance (FloridaWCA) and has been a key collaborator and member of the steering committee for the past 15 years. Tracy is stepping down from her role on the committee as she embarks on a well-deserved retirement after a long and distinguished career.

A nationally recognized social scientist, Tracy’s work has advanced understanding in public perception of science and technology, crisis and risk communication, and public opinion research. Her expertise has been instrumental in shaping FloridaWCA into the meaningful partnership it is today. Through her leadership and insight, FloridaWCA has strengthened its capacity for effective communication, stakeholder engagement, and the co-development of climate science and tools for the water sector.

Tracy’s impact can be seen throughout FloridaWCA’s history. She actively participated in three FloridaWCA projects—two of which helped establish the network itself and identify the shared interests that continue to guide its collaborative efforts. She also led initiatives to evaluate and document FloridaWCA’s progress, producing reports and publications that demonstrated FloridaWCA’s effectiveness. These efforts have directly contributed to the success of securing additional funded projects to co-develop climate science products and decision-support tools for Florida’s water sector.

The FloridaWCA community extends its deepest gratitude to Tracy for her years of dedication, leadership, and partnership. Her vision and commitment have left an enduring legacy, and we wish her all the best as she embarks on this exciting new chapter (and hope that she will be able to join future FloridaWCA workshops and webinars from time to time)!

Tracy at her retirement celebration party receiving a plaque from the UF Department of Family, Youth and Community Sciences for her service and Tracy thanking her friends, family, and colleagues for all the support over the years.

Tracy Irani and the 2019 FloridaWCA Steering Committee

Tracy leading an activity where participants grouped themselves on their preferred learning style and discussed how that plays a role in effective communication in collaborative projects as part of a workshop on June 26, 2013.

Tracy and her group explained their picture representing different types of stakeholders and their perspectives when engaged in a situation related to climate information as part of a context building activity at a workshop on May 10, 2012.

Tracy participating in a technical working group developing a roadmap for future work in long-term climate scenarios at a workshop on February 28, 2012.