Join us for a panel of COP26 delegates from the University of Minnesota (students, staff, and faculty) and MN non-profit Climate Generation: A Will Steger Legacy, moderated by Gabe Chan, Professor of Science, Technology, and Environmental Policy, and Kristen Poppleton, Senior Director of Programs for Climate Generation.
Register to Attend.
The delegates will share their personal climate stories, give us a preview of what to expect in Glasgow, and offer guidance on how to follow the negotiations and plug in to climate action at home.
Meet the Delegates:
Julieta Rodrigo, Program Manager, The CLEO Institute
Julieta Rodrigo is a certified climate science educator and communicator. Growing up in a family of immigrants, Julieta’s background is rooted in the belief that effective communication is a great way to bring diverse people together. In her role as Program Manager at The CLEO Institute, she educates students, teachers, and the general public about the climate crisis.
Betsy Wilkening, Education Outreach Coordinator, AZ Project WET - University of Arizona; President, Polar Educators International
Betsy is a learner, engineer, educator, environmentalist, volunteer, wife, mom and activist. Her career has spanned jobs in industry, preK-12 classroom teaching, teacher professional development, outreach education, and community engagement. As a teacher, she had the opportunity to work and visit the Arctic, which led to becoming a founding member and now president of Polar Educators International.
Ashley Fairbanks, Creative Director, 100% Campaign
Ashley Fairbanks (Asiniiwiikwe) is Anishinaabe from the White Earth Nation, and has over 15 years of experience in electoral politics, activism, and creative storytelling—as a designer, public artist, and professional communicator. In her work for the 100% Campaign, Ashley has worked to tell climate stories that center on the personal and human side of the climate crisis.
Samuel Reed, PhD Student, University of Minnesota
Samuel Reed is a PhD student in Natural Resources Science and Management and an NSF Graduate Research Fellow. He is interested in compounding ecological disturbance in forests, as he believes this phenomena is our portal to see into the earth’s ecological future and will become more frequent with a changing climate.
Susanna Gibbons, CFA, Managing Director of Enterprise Programs, Carlson School of Management
Susanna has over 30 years of industry experience across multiple asset classes and roles - analytical, portfolio management, asset allocation, and educational. She is currently exploring the integration of Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) principles into decision making, is passionate about teaching sustainable investment practices, and is a fellow within the Institute on the Environment, University of Minnesota.
Barb Thees, Community Manager, University of Minnesota
Barb has spent the last ten years working in the field of international education managing events, collaborating with educators on international programming, and promoting learning abroad opportunities to students. She earned her B.A. in Spanish at the University of Wisconsin – Eau Claire and is currently pursuing a Master of Public Affairs degree at the University of Minnesota.
This Climate Week event is presented by the Humphrey School of Public Affairs in partnership with the Institute on the Environment as part of the Swain Climate Policy Series.