Join the Center for the Environment, its scholars, students, staff and partners to highlight environmental research across the university and beyond. This half-day, interdisciplinary symposium is designed to bring together WashU’s diverse scholarly community to share knowledge, nurture collaborations, and sparking new ideas to help address our deepest environmental challenges.
Keynote Speaker Tony Reames
“Powering Change: How the Energy Transition is Shaped by People, Places and Policy”
University of Michigan – School for Environment and Sustainability
Tishman Professor of Environmental Justice
Director of the U-M SEAS Detroit Sustainability Clinic
Symposium schedule:
1:00 – 2:20 p.m. Welcome, Keynote, and Panel: “Powering Change: How the Energy Transition is Shaped by People, Places and Policy” by Tony Reames. Following the keynote an interdisciplinary panel of Center for the Environment Scholars will join Reames for a panel discussion and Q&A. The panel will feature:
- Beth Martin, Teaching Professor in Environmental Studies – Moderator
- Carrie Breton, Professor of Public Health
- Rayshad Dorsey, Assistant Professor of Architecture
- Bronwyn Nichols Lodato, Assistant Professor of Education and African & African American Studies
- Phil Valko, Assistant Vice Chancellor for Sustainability
2:20 – 2:30 p.m. Break
2:30 – 3:30 p.m. Research Highlights: Researchers will share brief, impactful updates on their work, highlighting the scale, scope and diversity of environmental research at WashU. The highlighted talks will include:
- Jay Turner “Beyond Decibels: Understanding the Sources of Urban Noise”
- Liz Hubertz & Eric Conners “Environmental Racism in St. Louis: An Interdisciplinary Look.”
- Theresa Gildner “Flood-Related Health Threats in At-Risk U.S. Communities”
- Liz Carlen “Squirrel Population Genetics Mimic Racial Divide: A Case Study in St. Louis Missouri”
3:30 – 4:30 Graduate Student Lightning Talks: This fast-paced session will showcase the exciting work of WashU’s environmental graduate student community. These 5-minute talks will give brief, impactful glimpses into emerging research. The presenters include:
- Justin Kim, PhD in Institute of Materials Science and Engineering
“Invisible Layers, Visible Impact: Nanoscale Design for Sustainable Energy Storage” - Erin Ritter, Master’s in Public Health, Health Policy Analysis
“Indigenous Practices for Preventing Insect-Borne Disease: Applications for Rural Missouri” - Zehua Wang, PhD in Energy, Environmental & Chemical Engineering
“Monitoring lead in drinking water with point-of-use filters” - Sofia Then, Master’s in Public Health, Global Health Concentration
“Cultivating Resilience: Reclaiming the Andean Diet to Combat the Dual Burden of Malnutrition in Quito’s Elementary Schools” - Ethan Fudge, Master’s in Social Work in Ecological Justice, Practice, and Advocacy
“The Missing Ingredient: Biodiversity and Healthy Diets” - Irtija Nazim, PhD in Mechanical Engineering/MEMS
“Design of Hydrogen Powered Blended Wing-Body Aircraft for Civil Aviation”
4:30-5:30 Poster session and Networking Reception: Enjoy drinks, light fare, and each other’s company while you explore the diverse environmental research being conducted by our talented community.
Submit a poster abstract today, submissions are due Jan 28.
The symposium is open to all members of the WashU community as well as St. Louis’ broader environmental and research communities.
More details to come, schedule is subject to modifications
The symposium is part of the 2026 Environmental Research & Creativity Week Feb. 23-27, a series of events hosted by the WashU Center for the Environment and its partners to showcase the interdisciplinary environmental work at the university.