This talk is available via Zoom. Registration is required due to security concerns. Please complete the registration form to receive the Zoom connection information.
Speakers:
Linda Silka, Senior Faculty Fellow, Mitchell Center for Sustainability Solutions
Sara Kelemen, Graduate Student, School of Food and Agriculture
In the face of climate change, Maine must be prepared. The University of Maine has important roles to play in helping the state prepare for the effects of climate change. One such role is to analyze the equity and fairness of proposed climate action plans. The Mitchell Center has been asked to analyze the recommendations with regard to their equity. We will report on our equity assessment work this summer and discuss with you what we are learning, and ways that the University can continue to be involved.
Dr. Linda Silka is a social and community psychologist by training, with much of her work focusing on building community-university research partnerships. She has several decades of experience in leading community-university research partnerships on environmental, economic development, and environmental health issues. Dr. Silka was the former Director of the UMaine’s Margaret Chase Smith Policy Center and is now Senior Fellow at the Senator George J. Mitchell Center for Sustainability Solutions. Prior to moving to the UMaine, Dr. Silka was a faculty member for three decades at the University of Massachusetts Lowell, where she directed the Center for Family, Work, Community, served as the Special Assistant to the Provost for Community Outreach and Partnerships, and was Professor of Regional Economic and Social Development.
Sara Kelemen is a masters candidate in the School of Food and Agriculture, working in the Agroecology lab. She graduated from Reed College with a B.A. in History and Environmental Studies. While at Reed, she worked on the initial stages of the college’s climate action plan, focusing on collecting water, natural gas, and electricity use data. She is interested in farmer decision making practices, increasing climate resilience on farms, and crafting accessible and equitable plans for dealing with the effects of climate change.