The Office of Sustainability will host on-campus and virtual events throughout Earth Week, April 19-23.
All students, faculty, staff, and community members are invited to A Virtual Evening with Dr. Ayana Elizabeth Johnson at 7 p.m. April 21. Visit The Office of Sustainability website to register. Participants will complete a quick registration form to receive the link to the free Zoom webinar.
In addition to the Virtual Evening with Dr. Johnson, the Office of Sustainability will be hosting several outdoor events at Schroeder Plaza and outside the Student Fitness Center throughout Earth Week in collaboration with student organizations and community partners. Students, faculty, and staff can learn how to become involved, pick up eco-tips, and receive free green giveaways. Register for events here.
Dr. Ayana Elizabeth Johnson
Johnson is a marine biologist, climate policy expert, and writer. She is founder of Urban Ocean Lab and All We Can Save and co-creator and co-host of the Spotify/Gimlet podcast How to Save a Planet. Johnson is on the 2021 Time 100 Next List and was named one of Elle’s 27 Women Leading on Climate. Outside Magazine called her “the most influential marine biologist of our time.”
She co-edited the anthology All We Can Save, and co-founded the All We Can Save Project, to nurture the feminist climate renaissance. Recently, she co-authored the Blue New Deal, a roadmap for including the ocean in climate policy. With her work appearing in both scientific journals and media outlets such as the Washington Post, New York Times, and Scientific American, Johnson speaks to racism derailing efforts to save the planet.
Previously she was executive director of the Waitt Institute, developed policy at the Foundation, managing a diverse portfolio of philanthropic grants. She has also held policy positions in the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), served as a leader of the March for Science, and taught as an adjunct professor at New York University. Dr. Johnson earned a bachelor’s degree from Harvard University in environmental science and public policy, and a Ph.D. from Scripps Institution of Oceanography in marine biology.
The first 200 ISU students who register for A Virtual Evening with Dr. Johnson can also enjoy a free sustainable meal prepared by ISU Catering, featuring locally sourced foods and boxed-in compostable packaging to reduce single-use plastic. The Student Sustainability Committee is also raffling off eco-prizes for students at the end of the webinar. Prizes are bundled into themes that include items such as a new bike, outdoor yard games, and eco/reusable supplies.
Visit the University Calendar or follow the Office of Sustainability on Facebook or Instagram @SustainISU to see the full schedule of events.
