Hosted by the Parkinson School of Health Sciences and Public Health and the Center for Health Innovation and Entrepreneurship

Featuring:

C. Ben Beard, MS, PhD, Center for Disease Control, Deputy Director

Charles Benjamin (Ben) Beard is the Deputy Director of CDC’s Division of Vector-Borne Diseases. He also serves as co-chair of CDC’s Climate and Health Taskforce and is CDC’s representative to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Tick-Borne Disease Working Group. He has served outside of CDC on numerous working groups and advisory panels for the World Health Organization, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, U.S. Global Change Research Program (USGCRP), the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine, and the American Meteorological Society. He served as an editor and lead author for the USGCRP Climate Change and Human Health Group 2016 report, The Impacts of Climate Change on Human Health in the United States: A Scientific Assessment, and he is an author currently on the Human Health Chapter of the USGCRP Fifth National Climate Assessment. He is an Associate Editor for Emerging Infectious Diseases and past president of the Society for Vector Ecology. During his tenure at CDC, his work has focused on the ecology, prevention, and control of vector-borne zoonotic diseases, both in domestic and global arenas, and he has published over 140 scientific papers, books, and book chapters collectively.

Panelists:

Broox Boze, PhD, Director of Research and Innovation, Vector Disease Control International

Dr. Broox Boze is the Director of Research and Innovation for Vector Disease Control International (VDCI) and has a Ph.D. from Colorado State University.  As a specialist in emergency response, she has developed protocols and coordinated surveillance and management operations with various local, county, state and federal organizations.  She acted as the on-site coordinator to both the Virgin Islands and Marshall Islands after the emergence of Zika Virus in 2016, and has also serves as the IPM Manager for VDCI’s hurricane response efforts which are increasing in frequency.  She is the Industry Director for the American Mosquito Control Association, Chair of the National Environmental Health Associations Vector Program Committee, and has worked with mosquito control programs throughout North America, in the Caribbean, West Africa, and the South Pacific.

Justin Harbison, PhD, Assistant Professor, Parkinson School of Health Sciences and Public Health, Loyola University of Chicago

Across the US and around the world, cities spend enormous amounts of time, money, and effort on large-scale efforts to kill mosquito adults and larvae. Justin Harbison has worked on mosquito control in Kenya, California, Illinois, and beyond, and his research suggests that at least some of those resources are not doing what they’re intended to do. He wants answers to very practical questions: which measures consistently reduce mosquito numbers and cases of human disease? Which ones don’t, why not, and how should policies and procedures change to get better results? Given that many urban mosquitoes breed in catch basins, storm water retention ponds, and other parts of sewage systems, Justin spends enough of his time in sewers to have earned the nickname “Sewer Monster.”

View the session recording on our YouTube channel. 

Hosted by the Parkinson School of Health Sciences and Public Health and the Center for Health Innovation and Entrepreneurship

Featuring:

Alicia Ponce, Founder and Principle, APMonarch

A registered architect in Illinois and Wisconsin, Alicia Ponce is the founder and principal of APMonarch, a Chicago based Female and Latina owned Architecture firm. Her expertise and passion to design healthy buildings and equitable communities have supported many clients in creating architecture that is ambitious, thoughtful and healthy. Under Alicia’s direction, the firm provides architectural services, community engagement and sustainability consulting for projects throughout the Midwest and Latin America. 

Alicia refers to APMonarch as the pollinator of the built environment designing healthy environments that look good, feel good and perform great. Notable projects include the Field Museum, Erie Family Health Clinics, St. Augustine College. In 2019, the firm provided primary sustainability consulting services earning the University of Chicago Keller Center LEED Platinum and Living Building Challenge Materials Petal certifications. The firm’s promise is to build zero carbon architecture. Demonstrating that promise is Alicia’s recent architecture commission to design Centro Amazing, a civic youth center located in Mexico which is to be constructed from rammed earth.  

Alicia serves on the Chicago Landmarks Commission, the United Way Metro Chicago Executive Board, and HACIA’s sustainability committee. She is the founder and chair of Arquitina, a national non-profit organization with a mission to raise the fewer than 1% of licensed Latina architects in the U.S. Learn more about Alicia and her mission to raise the 1% by reading her recently published book: Latinas in Architecture.

Daniel Swartzman, JD, MPH Associate Professor, Parkinson School of Health Sciences and Public Health, Loyola University of Chicago

Daniel Swartzman started his career as an environmental public interest attorney in the 1970’s.  He holds a law degree from the Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law and an MPH in Environmental Health Science from the UIC School of Public Health.  He is on the faculty of the Parkinson School of Health Sciences and Public Health, Loyola University Chicago.  For more than 40 years he has taught public policymaking, social justice and health management to graduate and undergraduate students in public health and healthcare administration.  He is currently developing case studies to use in teaching issues of social justice.  He is a recipient of numerous awards for teaching, having been recognized by his students with the “Golden Apple” four times.  In 2017, his former students helped to endow the “Daniel Swartzman Public Health Ethics Lectureship” at the UIC School of Public Health.  In 2021, Professor Swartzman was the recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Public Health Law Section of the American Public Health Association.

View the session recording on our YouTube channel.

Hosted by the School of Environmental Sustainability and the Gannon Center for Women and Leadership

Presented as part of the Ann F. Baum Speaker Series

Moderated By:

Nancy Tuchman, PhD, Dean, School of Environmental Sustainability, Loyola University of Chicago

Elaine Morrato, DrPH, Dean, Parkinson School of Health Sciences and Public Health, Loyola University of Chicago

Featuring:

Kim Knowlton, DrPH, Senior Scientist, Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC)

Kim Knowlton, DrPH, is senior scientist at the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) in New York, and assistant professor of environmental health sciences at the Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University. She is a health scientist specializing in the human health impacts of climate change, particularly air pollution and extreme heat. Her work with the New York Climate and Health Project in 2001-2007 described some of the first downscaled global-to-regional, climate-air quality-heat-health effect modeling results in the U.S., and it served as a foundation for other inter-disciplinary collaborations. She served as co-convening lead author for the human health chapter of the U.S. Third National Climate Assessment; as a member of the 2nd and 4th New York City Panels on Climate Change; and participated in the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's 2007 Fourth and 2013 Fifth Assessment Reports. She now works with community partners in the U.S. and in India to adapt to the changing climate, to connect the dots between climate and health, and to put science in the service of advocacy that demands action to protect people and the planet.

Rt. Hon. David Lammy, Member of Parliament for Tottenham, Shadow Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, UK

Harvard educated David Lammy is the Member of Parliament for Tottenham and the Shadow Foreign Secretary. One of the leading agenda setters in the fields of social activism, diversity and multi-culturalism, he was a member of the previous Labour Government (2001-2010), is respected across the party spectrum and a well-known figure amongst the general public. A well-known advocate of social activism, diversity and multi-culturalism, David continues to tackle the big issues facing society (on a macro and micro scale) and provide tangible solutions to bring about effective change.

David led the campaign for the Windrush British Citizens to be granted full British Citizenship, and has been at the forefront of the fight for justice for the families affected by the Grenfell Fire. In 2017, he published the widely recognized review into the treatment of, and outcomes for, Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic individuals in the Criminal Justice System. In 2020, David presented a TED talk as part of their latest Countdown series, calling for a global recognition that we cannot solve climate change without racial and social justice.

View the session recording on our YouTube channel.

Hosted by the Hank Center for the Catholic Intellectual Heritage

Featuring:

Jose Aguto, Executive Director, Catholic Climate Covenant

Jose Aguto is the Executive Director of the Catholic Climate Covenant, which animates the Church's call for us to care for God's creation and our vulnerable neighbors as integral dimensions of the Catholic faith.  Before joining the Covenant, Jose worked for the Friends Committee on National Legislation, the National Congress of American Indians, and EPA's American Indian Environmental Office. He graduated from Brown University and Villanova Law School and served with the U.S. Army's 10th Mountain Division.
 

Chanelle Robinson, Trudeau Scholar, Boston College

Chanelle Robinson is a doctoral student in Systematic Theology at Boston College. Her scholarship explores womanist theology and theological anthropology. An educator and a scholar, Chanelle completed a Master of Arts in Theological Studies and a Master of Teaching at the University of Toronto. She is the recipient of Doctoral Fellowships through the Social Science and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) and the Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation. 

View the session recording on our YouTube channel.

Hosted by the Baumhart Center for Social Enterprise and Responsibility and the Institute for Racial Justice

Moderated By:

Shannon McGhee, Director, Community Impact and Engagement, mHUB Chicago

Shannon McGhee is the Director of Community Impact and Engagement at mHUB, where she leads the organization’s focus on reducing systemic barriers to entrepreneurship for people of color and women. She has spent 12 years building grassroots campaigns to connect Illinoisans to critical resources in both the private and nonprofit sectors. She began her career focused on healthcare access at FleishmanHillard, including the rollout of the Affordable Care Act in Illinois as a trained navigator and subject matter expert. After pivoting to economic development, she served in central roles at World Business Chicago and Hawthorne Strategy Group focused on workforce development and access to capital. A graduate of Butler University, she was named to “Crain’s Notable Women in Manufacturing" in 2020. Shannon currently serves on the Ambassador’s Board and Anti-Racism Taskforce at Chicago Children’s Choir and is Chicago Urban League 2022 IMPACT Fellow.  

Featuring:

Seyi Fabode, CEO & co-founder of Varuna Tech

Seyi Fabode has more than 19 years of experience developing, deploying and investing in technology solutions for the utility industry. Prior to founding Varuna, Seyi spent several years consulting with the leading utilities in the US and in emerging markets on their technology strategy and product development. He was also the cofounder and CEO of Power2Switch, the first retail electricity and energy efficiency marketplace in the US, a company he sold in 2013. Seyi has his MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business and his MSc in Systems Engineering from Warwick University in the UK.

Darren Riley, co-founder of Just Air Solutions

Darren Riley is the Co-founder and CEO of JustAir and aims to bring more transparency to air quality health impacts at a neighborhood-level.  Before JustAir, Darren was a portfolio manager at Endeavor, working with a global portfolio of high-growth companies and supporting them through various scaling challenges. He is also a Co-founder of Commune Angels, an angel group united by their shared interest in high growth ventures and strengthened by their diverse experiences. Overall, Darren is keen on leveraging emerging technologies to bring about both visibility and solutions to the issues that impact overlooked communities.

View the session recording on our YouTube channel. 

Hosted by the School of Environmental Sustainability                          

Featuring:

JB Pritzker, Governor, Illinois

Governor JB Pritzker (Democrat) was sworn in as the 43rd Governor of Illinois on Jan. 14, 2019. After taking the oath of office, Governor Pritzker accomplished one of the most ambitious and consequential legislative agendas in state history. 

The governor won bipartisan passage for Rebuild Illinois, the largest investment in state history to upgrade roads, bridges, rail, broadband, and universities. He took bold action, putting state government back on the side of working families by creating jobs, raising the minimum wage to a living wage, making college more affordable, and advancing equal pay for women. As a national leader in early childhood education, the governor intends to make Illinois the best state in the nation to raise a family.

Panel to Follow

Moderator: 

Jerome McDonnell, Former Environment and Climate Reporter, WBEZ

Jerome McDonnell hosted WBEZ's global affairs program Worldview for 25 years, ending in 2019. He was WBEZ’s environment and climate reporter through 2020. Over the years he covered multiple UN climate conferences, climate marches, and featured conversations with top climate activists.

Among Jerome's recognitions are the Studs Terkel Community Media Award and an Excellence in Environmental Reporting Award from the Chicago Audubon Society. Jerome believes broadcasting's highest calling is to bring people together to make a difference. He's proud that he was WBEZ's Team Leader for Bike to Work Week and initiated the composting program at WBEZ.

Panelists:

Anna Moeller, Illinois State Representative, 43rd District

Anna Moeller is State Representative for the Illinois 43rd District and has been a member of the Illinois House of Representatives since March 2014. She serves as the Chairwoman of the Human Services Committee, Vice-Chair of the Human Services, Appropriations Committee and is a member of the Insurance, Energy and Environment, Education, K-12 Licensing and Charter School and Healthcare Licensing Committees.  She also serves on the bicameral/bipartisan Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability (COGFA) and is Chairwoman of the House Democratic Green Caucus. She previously chaired the Healthcare Licensing Committee and Aging Committee in previous General Assemblies.

Since taking office, Rep. Moeller has championed legislation on pay equity, good-government reforms, environmental protection, increased access to healthcare, care for elderly and developmentally disabled individuals, support for young victims of sexual assault, nursing home reform, pro-choice legislation and bills that advance LGBTQ equality.

Jennifer Walling, Executive Director, Illinois Environmental Council

Jen Walling has served as the Executive Director for the Illinois Environmental Council since January of 2011, where she oversees the strategic direction and management of the organization and lobbies decision makers on environmental issues. Jen is dedicated to building the power of Illinois’ environmental community to secure policy outcomes that protect the environment.

Jen has drafted, negotiated, lobbied and passed hundreds of bills in Springfield while working to build the power, expertise and relationships of the entire environmental community. On energy issues, she worked to fix the renewable energy portfolio standards and increase energy efficiency through the Future Energy Jobs Act.  Through her leadership role on the Illinois Clean Jobs Coalition, Jen advocated for the Climate & Equitable Jobs Act, a powerfully bold and equitable climate policy for Illinois.   She has fought to protect state parks and natural areas through increasing funding to the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, increasing recreation liability protections and funding stewardship through the Natural Areas Stewardship Act.

Jen holds a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. She also received a juris doctorate from the University of Illinois College of Law and is an attorney licensed to practice law in Illinois.

Delmar Gillus, Chief Operating Officer, Elevate

Delmar Gillus is the Chief Operating Officer of Elevate, located in Chicago, Illinois. As part of the Elevate team, Mr. Gillus is responsible for implementing programmatic, operational, workforce development, and project management processes in support of Elevate's growing portfolio of clean energy projects. Mr. Gillus currently provides program design, coordination, and contract management support to Elevate’s diverse energy efficiency and growing renewable energy programs.

Gillus plays a critical role in supporting Elevate’s work in increasing contractor diversity and launching energy assistance, community solar, and smart grid programs for Illinois utility consumers. Mr. Gillus is also managing efforts to implement new business strategies and solutions. This includes supporting job creating workforce development programs that focus on underserved, environmental justice communities across the state. He is also supporting the on-going development of IT, project management, and quality systems and tools in support of Elevate’s clean energy programs. Lastly, Mr. Gillus is active in industry organizations such as the Illinois Environmental Council (IEC) where he serves as board treasurer, and provides on-going mentorship and support to emerging energy leaders within and outside of Elevate Energy.

View the session recording on our YouTube channel. 

Hosted by the Center for Urban Research and Learning

Featuring:

Cheryl Johnson, Executive Director, People for Community Recovery 

Cheryl Johnson is a long-time resident of Altgeld Gardens, a public housing development located on the far south side of Chicago.  She is a mother of two, grandmother of one.  Ms. Johnson is the daughter of the late Hazel Johnson, “Mother of Environmental Justice,” who founded People for Community Recovery over 40 years ago and now Ms. Johnson has taken the reigns to continue to fight for environmental justice and equality in Chicago.  Ms. Johnson has been with PCR for the past thirty-five years as an Administrative Assistant, Project Manager, and now the Executive Director of PCR.   

Johnson has various training experiences and holds many environmentally-related certificates to help assist her in educating her community. Ms. Johnson has co-written several journal articles on environmental health and risk factors; she’s a passionate speaker about environmental justice issues and the injustices associated with it.  Ms. Johnson belongs to several organizations that address environment, health, housing, and safety issues.  In 2012, former Governor Pat Quinn appointed Ms. Johnson as one of the 12 members of the Illinois Environmental Justice Commission, and in 2017 she became a member of the National Environmental Justice Council of the United States Environmental Protection Agency.  Ms. Johnson has received several awards and recognitions for the work she has done on environment and housing related issues.

View the session recording on our YouTube channel.