NEW YORK, March 17, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- With Earth Day coming up (Wednesday, April 22), following is a roundup of experts from the ProfNet network who are available to discuss various environmental topics.

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EXPERT ROUNDUP: Earth Day 2015 (71 experts)

Kaayla T. Daniel, Ph.D.
Vice President
Weston A. Price Foundation
Daniel is available to discuss the myth that veg-centric diets are the "green" choice for those committed to saving Planet Earth: "Although calls for Meatless Mondays and slogans like the Environmental Working Group's 'Reduce your impact, improve your health' hold great appeal to environmentalists, I would argue that they encourage people to feel good about their green consciousness while distracting them from exploring and adopting genuine, sustainable solutions that support personal and planetary health. The true threat to our environment is not animals -- which have been covering the earth with manure and emissions for tens of thousands of years -- but the globalization and industrialization of agriculture, with its unconscionable, factory-farming practices, toxic use of pesticides, herbicides and commercial fertilizers, plundering of natural resources, draining of the water table, and bankrupting of small farmers and cottage industries."
Daniel is a member of the board of directors of the Farm-to-Consumer Legal Defense Fund, and a leading advocate for real food, whole food and slow food. She is author of "Nourishing Broth: Old-Fashioned Remedy for the Modern World" and "The Whole Soy Story: The Dark Side of America's Favorite Health Food." She has appeared on the "The Dr. Oz Show," PBS' "Healing Quest," NPR's "People's Pharmacy" and other shows, and is an Inner Circle Expert at Mercola.com, the world's leading dietary and natural health website.
Expert Contact: wholenutritionist@earthlink.net

Sarina Prabasi
Chief Executive
WaterAid America
"While working with WaterAid in Ethiopia, I saw firsthand both the devastating local consequences of the global water and sanitation crisis and, perhaps more importantly, solutions in action and the difference that investing in the basic foundations of human development can make. I was fortunate to have the opportunity to see for myself how whole families and communities were transformed with the simple, life-changing gifts of safe water, sanitation and good hygiene practices. There is neither health nor prosperity without safe water and decent toilets. Everyone is affected, but females and children pay a particularly heavy price."
WaterAid is the world's largest international non-profit dedicated exclusively to helping the world's poorest people gain long-term access to safe drinking water, toilets and effective hygiene education. With 20 years of experience in international development work, Prabasi most recently served as deputy chief of programs at Orbis International, and as country representative at WaterAid Ethiopia. Prior to that, she spent nearly 10 years at Pact Inc., serving both in Washington, D.C., and overseas. Originally from Nepal, Prabasi lives in NYC, where she is a proud mother to two young girls and co-founder of Buunni Coffee, a fair trade, organic coffee company. She is available to discuss the devastating consequences of the global water and sanitation crisis.
Media Contact: Mari Escamilla, Mari@marketingmavenpr.com

Meghna Tare
Executive Director, Institute for Sustainability and Global Impact
University of Texas at Arlington
"Sustainability is a path of continual improvement where our actions protect and enhance the human and natural resources needed for future generations to enjoy a quality of life equal to or greater than our own. Sustainability brings together economic, environmental and social aspects that reflect the complexity of the pressing issues faced by us as an organization and as part of the global community. It also draws people together: The success of sustainability initiatives requires engagement, participation, and collaboration at all levels of the university, across campus and beyond. Universities act as catalysts for sustainability efforts in the cities in which they are located and are unique in that they have an opportunity to influence not only the community around them, but also the students, faculty, and staff within. Today, most campus sustainability initiatives comprise of cost savings from the use of long lasting CFL bulbs or double-paned windows. But economic benefits are not the only force behind sustainability [here at UT Arlington]. We tap into the 'moral imperative,' based on the concept of systems thinking or that everything is part of the puzzle. It is important for us to not only draw the connections between natural ecosystem services and the economy, but also to communicate those connections to others and motivate them to take action. Students attending a university that places high value on sustainable operations and education are more likely to take this mindset to their future places of employment where they can help shape the future of environmentally-friendly companies."
Tare has initiated and spearheaded many successful cross-functional sustainability projects related to policy implementation, green buildings and development, green procurement, transportation, employee engagement, waste management, GRI reporting, and carbon management. She has served as a sustainability and environmental manager with the City of Dallas, a climate change consultant, and research assistant at Stanford University. She holds a chemistry degree from the University of San Francisco, and a Master of Science degree in environmental studies from San Jose State University. She is available to discuss the numerous action plans or strategies colleges and universities can implement to become more sustainable, whether it's growing a campus garden, composting, car-sharing or going trayless in the cafeteria.
Media Contact: Bridget Lewis, blewis@uta.edu

Lynn Jurich
Chief Executive Officer
Sunrun
"There are many steps consumers can take to make their lives more efficient, and in the process participate in the 'green movement.' They can be as small as being more conscious of your daily energy consumption, to switching to rooftop solar to power your home with the sun. I'm most passionate about providing a better, more efficient way for consumers to use electricity; one that doesn't rely on dirty, expensive fossil fuels, but lowers bills for all consumers and is better for the planet. It doesn't need to be complicated."
Prior to 2007, solar was very expensive and complicated for homeowners. However, Lynn Jurich, chief executive officer at Sunrun, the nation's largest dedicated residential solar company, created a new model that makes solar both affordable and accessible to the average homeowner. She and co-founder Ed Fenster realized America's energy system was incredibly inefficient, expensive and damaging to the environment. So in 2007, they created the first affordable home solar option for consumers -- making Sunrun the nation's first company to offer solar 'as a service' to homeowners. Sunrun designs, finances, installs, owns and maintains the system while homeowners just pay for the electricity produced at a lower rate than their current utility. Previously, solar systems could cost anywhere from $20,000 to $50,000, but Sunrun has broken down these barriers and given consumers the option to choose clean energy to power their lives and save 20 percent on their energy bills. Jurich is available to discuss the landscape of solar power today and how easy it is for consumers to make the switch.
Media Contact: Becky Loya, Becky.Loya@Ketchum.com

John Picard
Founder and CEO
John Picard & Associates
A sustainability and technology expert, Picard was one of the first members of President Clinton's "Greening of the White House" team, which was tasked with creating policy and infrastructure to make the White House complex more energy efficient. His background spans the public and private sectors, where he did industrial design for corporations like Gap Inc. to develop energy efficiency programs and integrate new systems to improve sustainability. He is able to speak to a broad range of topics, from urban planning with an emphasis on sustainable development (i.e., how do we construct our cities of the future in order to ensure the best possible future) to technologies that are being implemented by businesses in order to have greener operations. He is an expert on Internet of Things (IoT) technologies, and can also talk about how connected devices are being used to power the next green revolution.
Media Contact: Whit Moses, whit.moses@lewispr.com

Emily Murphy
Chief Operating Office
Mother Nature Network
Founded in 2009, Mother Nature Network (MNN) is the world's most visited environmental website.  While most online content enterprises are teetering on the fiscal cliff, MNN now receives more than 10 million unique visits per month, the most visited eco-website in the world (just surpassed the EPA). MNN employs some 35 journalists, with 80 percent original content, and reaches 220 countries.  Murphy is well-schooled and conversational as it relates to environmental topics. She can address the "green movement," and everything from Climate Change to deforestation, water, pollution and ozone layer depletion.
Bio: http://tinyurl.com/pr9c2lm
Media Contact: Dan Beeson, dbeeson@mnn.com

Russell McLendon
Science Editor
Mother Nature Network
Founded in 2009, Mother Nature Network (MNN) is the world's most visited environmental website.  While most online content enterprises are teetering on the fiscal cliff, MNN now receives more than 10 million unique visits per month, the most visited eco-website in the world (just surpassed the EPA). MNN employs some 35 journalists, with 80 percent original content, and reaches 220 countries.  McLendon is well-schooled and conversational as it relates to environmental topics. He can address the "green movement," and everything from climate change to deforestation, water, pollution and ozone layer depletion.
Bio: http://www.mnn.com/users/rmclendon
Media Contact: Dan Beeson, dbeeson@mnn.com

Tom Szaky
CEO
TerraCycle
Szaky is founder and chief executive officer of TerraCycle, a company that enables consumers to collect non-recyclable waste, from used juice pouches to used cigarettes. The collected material is then reused, upcycled, or recycled into thousands of various products and materials. TerraCycle has won over 200 environmental and social awards for its work. As a college sophomore, Szaky left Princeton University in 2003 to found TerraCycle, building a company that has grown in size every year since its inception and making the Inc. Magazine 500 list for the fastest-growing companies in America three times. He has personally won more than 50 awards for entrepreneurship. In 2007, he published his first book, "Revolution in a Bottle," and his second, "Outsmart Waste," in 2014. He is also the star of the National Geographic Channel TV show "Garbage Moguls," and the reality TV show "Human Resources" on Participant Media's Pivot TV cable network.
Topics Szaky is available to discuss: 1) The Circular Economy: He was invited to Davos earlier this year to speak on this topic; 2) how to be a "green" marketing expert; 3) finding ways to recycle almost anything, even cigarette butts; 4) top sustainable packaging trends in 2015; 5) top recycling and waste management trends in 2015; 6) challenges with getting people to recycle; 7) barriers to expanding recycling systems; 8) how companies can prepare for packaging taxes or extend producer responsibility laws; 9) how standardized recycling labels could reduce confusion and help increase recycling rates.
Media Contact: Albe Zakes, albe.zakes@terracycle.com

Melanie Boyle
Manager of Sustainability
Cintas Corporation
Boyle is a founding member of the Greater Cincinnati Green Business Council and board member of Sustainability Council Southern California. She can speak about the importance of collaboration on sustainability between businesses, composting, waste management, energy benchmarking, eco-apparel made from plastic bottles and plant-based fiber, and more.
Websites: www.cintas.com/green and www.gcgbc.org
Media Contact: Jess Messenger, jmessenger@mulberrymc.com

Todd Recknagel
CEO
AM Conservation Group
Recknagel is CEO of AM Conservation Group, the nation's leader in energy and water preservation solutions. AM Conservation Group has facilitated some of the largest and most effective energy preservation programs in U.S. history working with major utilities, energy contractors, municipalities and other decision makers in the energy industry. Recknagel is an expert on green products, conservation education strategy and energy industry solutions. He can weigh in on numerous topics for Earth Day-related stories, including: 1) Energy-efficient products: Recknagel can tell you what products save the most energy, save the most money off utility bills, and which ones are most likely to be used in the home. Furthermore, he can detail what major U.S. utilities are including in their conservation product kits that are given to thousands of constituents. 2) Conservation education: Recknagel can explain the best practices to educate the masses about conservation. He has the unique experience of working with major utilities on strategies to educate their constituents on energy/water conservation and product awareness. 3) Utility prices/programs: Recknagel can explain why major utilities don't want homeowners to use excessive energy, but rather conserve. Due to government incentives, infrastructure costs and new energy sources, energy and water conservation is now more of a win-win for consumers and utilities than ever. 4) Energy industry issues: Recknagel is always ahead of the curve on energy and water industry related issues. He's been a common expert source on Fox Business News, The Weather Channel, U.S. News & World Report and much more.
Media Contact: Matthew Gold, mgold@fishmanpr.com

Damian Rodriguez
President and COO
CDR Global, Inc.
Rodriguez, an expert in commercial electronics waste and asset disposition (large quantities of electronic waste from old IT equipment), has been in the electronics recycling business for over 20 years. He is an entrepreneur in the electronics recycling world, and his current business is R2 Certified, which means their practices meet and exceed all EPA standards for electronics recycling. He also participates in many community e-recycling projects, including one in honor of earth day in Edmond, Okla.
Website: www.cdrglobal.com
Media Contact: Rachel Cunningham, rcunningham@bigwing.com

Paige Wolf
Green-Living Expert
Wolf is an author, blogger, and green-living expert who uses her media savvy and personal moxie to promote manageable eco-chic living. She is the author of the book and blog "Spit That Out! The Overly Informed Parent's Guide to Raising Children in the Age of Environmental Guilt." She regularly appears on television as a green-living expert, and she has been featured in publications including Boho, People.com, The Huffington Post, MSN.com, and Forbes.com. She frequently speaks at green-living conferences and expos and has written about green living for several publications. She lives in Philadelphia with her husband, two children, and an American Hairless Terrier. She is available to discuss general green living, green parenting, making green living more practical and affordable, simple green steps for families, eco-anxiety and green guilt.
Website: www.spitthatoutthebook.com
Expert Contact: mpaige@paigewolf.com

Diane B. Holdorf
Chief Sustainability Officer; Vice President, Health & Safety
Kellogg Company
Holdorf is chief sustainability officer and vice president, health and safety, for Kellogg Company. She joined Kellogg in May 2008 as senior director, environmental stewardship, and in 2009 was promoted to vice president, environmental stewardship, health and safety. Holdorf leads development of the strategic direction on corporate responsibility and sustainability for Kellogg Company. She leads global environmental stewardship to assure compliance with environmental regulations while working to reduce the total environmental impact of Kellogg Company operations. Additionally, she leads global employee safety and health programs, designed to deliver best-in-class safety performance companywide, with an ultimate goal of zero injuries. In addition to her role in Kellogg, Holdorf is an advisory board member for the Women & Children First Initiative at the Said Business School, Oxford University. She was recently named a "Super Woman" in 2015 by the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center, part of the Global Consortium of International Agricultural Research centers (CGIAR) focused on corn and wheat. She is well-versed in the development and implementation of global programs for corporate responsibility, environmental management and risk management. This includes the areas of responsible sourcing, sustainable agriculture, improving livelihoods of smallholder and women farmers and conserving natural resources.
Media Contact: Stephanie Slingerland, stephanie.slingerland@kellogg.com

Warren Matthews
Founder and Chairman
Xtend-Life Natural Products
Born in Christchurch, New Zealand, Matthews has gained increasing, international recognition as a researcher and advocate of natural health. He is also a remarkable example of the vital, anti-aging benefits of his own theories and products. Several years ago, an abiding personal interest in health and well-being inspired him to focus his considerable energy and resources on the field. Along with his son, Lance Matthews, he founded Xtend-Life Natural Products, now known worldwide for the purity of its ingredients, innovative formulations and competitive pricing. The company now sells its expanding range of natural supplements, Zupafoods, Omega-3, and skincare products each month to thousands of customers in over 40 countries. Matthews has emerged as one of the industry's evangelists. Traveling over 250, 000 miles a year worldwide, he hosts consumer seminars and meets with Xtend-Life's customers and suppliers on a regular basis. His agenda is simple: to encourage continued, and broader, scientific research into better-informed public acceptance of the very real benefits of pure, natural products along with sensible diet and lifestyles.
Topics Matthews is available to discuss: tips on saving the environment while increasing your energy, stamina and health using natural, local ingredients; the benefits of pure, natural ingredients for various ailments, like not being able to sleep, low energy, skin problems, and more; how pollution in the world's oceans have a negative effect in our overall health.
Website: www.xtend-life.com
Media Contact: Melanie Rembrandt, media@xtend-life.com

Maureen Blanc
Co-founder and Director
Charge Across Town
Blanc, a successful high-tech businesswoman and environmental entrepreneur, is co-founder and director of Charge Across Town, a San Francisco-based nonprofit that promotes electric vehicle transportation. Blanc spent 25 years in the private sector as a leader in high-tech marketing and communications. Most recently, she was director of Environmental Entrepreneurs (E2) Northern California from 2007-2010. She built one of the largest high-tech PR firms, Blanc and Otus Public Relations, and sold the firm in 2000 to WPP, a world leader in marketing communications services. She has spent the past 10 years in the nonprofit sector working on domestic and international issues, and is an advisor and board member to world affairs, philanthropic, educational, and environmental organizations. She is available to discuss electric vehicles.
Media Contact: Carlie Guilfoile, CAT@antennagroup.com

Kristina Michniak
Global Apparel Manager
Spreadshirt
Michniak is global apparel manager for Spreadshirt, an e-commerce platform for creating, buying, and selling ideas on things that consumers love to share, use, and carry. She is a graduate of Philadelphia University with a degree in fashion management, and very savvy in selecting fashion items, predicting trends, and the history of fashion. She is deeply involved in the launch and additions to the Spreadshirt collection of eco-friendly and sustainable fashion items, and is available to discuss eco-friendly and sustainable fashion in general.
Website: http://www.spreadshirt.net/
Media Contact: Margaret Menotti, margaret@kelandpartners.com

Sarah Kite
Director of Recycling Services
Rhode Island Resource Recovery Corporation
Kite has been in environmental advocacy for over two decades. She previously worked for the Sierra Club in Rhode Island as its director of advocacy. Currently, she is the director of recycling services for the Rhode Island Resource Recovery Corporation, where she directs operations for this quasi-government entity that runs both a landfill and recycling services for all Rhode Island municipalities.
Kite's topics of expertise include: recycling best practices for the home; money-saving recycling tips for companies; municipal recycling program best practices; the business of recycling; waste reduction; what you can and can't recycle; what contaminates recycling bins/facilities; composting; landfill best practices; waste-to-energy; and general environmental questions.
Media Contact: Dee Dee Edmondson, dedmondson@rdwgroup.com

Judith Stark
Co-Director, Environmental Studies Program
Seton Hall University
Stark's areas of specialization are the philosophy of Augustine of Hippo, feminist theories, and environmental issues. Her articles on ecological and human rights issues have been published in Philosophy and Geography and the Journal of Applied Ethics, among others. Her current research focuses on ethics and global climate change.
Among the topics she can discuss: 1) 2015 is the 45th anniversary of Earth Day; 2) The Great Transition: working toward diminishing our dependence on fossil fuels and move toward renewable sources of energy (solar, wind, geothermal, biofuels). Technologies are currently available and innovations are arriving at a tremendous rate. 3) Massive social and structural economic changes are called for -- grassroots initiatives are growing exponentially (including the divestiture campaign to encourage universities and other institutions to divest from fossil fuel companies); 4) Encouraging civic and community engagement at the local level: community gardens, use of electric vehicles, bike-friendly streets, workshops to calculate carbon footprints for the family, neighborhood, larger community, etc.; 5) organizing and/or participating in a local event for Earth Day; 6) challenging the cultural obsession with acquisition and consumption as the way to human fulfillment (in relation to limited planetary resources available and more equitable distribution of these resources); 7) connecting to the Earth Day Network for information, ways of coming up with creative initiatives and programs; 8) feature groups that are working on issues of environmental justice, including undue burdens of pollution in marginalized communities (e.g., Ironbound Community Corporation in Newark, N.J.).
Media Contact: Laurie A. Pine, laurie.pine@shu.edu

Jennifer M Jehn
President and CEO
Keep America Beautiful
Jehn is the president and CEO of Keep America Beautiful, the nation's leading nonprofit that brings people together to build and sustain vibrant communities. She is leading this well-respected national nonprofit that executes a wide range of programs and service projects based on the knowledge and needs of local communities -- while expanding support and increasing recognition for the 60-year-old organization.
Media Contact: Catherine Powers, cpowers@adcouncil.org

Brenda Pulley
Senior Vice President, Recycling
Keep America Beautiful
Pulley joined Keep America Beautiful in October 2010 to enhance the organization's efforts to increase recycling participation.  In her role to grow the reach and impact of KAB's recycling initiatives, she is responsible for strategic planning, research, and program design and implementation.  She also serves on the Board of Directors of SERI (Sustainable Electronics Recycling International), whose mission is to promote environmentally responsible reuse and recycling practices throughout the electronics sector and serves as the home of the R2 standard.
Media Contact: Catherine Powers, cpowers@adcouncil.org

Alex Spira, M.D., PhD, F.A.C.P.
Director, Virginia Cancer Specialists (VCS) Research Institute
The US Oncology Network
Dr. Spira can discuss how air pollution and other surprising factors can result in lung cancer. He can shed light on why the very air we breathe was responsible for 3.2 million deaths worldwide, including 223,000 from lung cancer in 2010. He can provide key considerations for people on how to protect themselves from lung cancer.
A graduate of Harvard University, Dr. Spira earned his medical degree from the New York University School of Medicine. He then went on to complete his internship and residency at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, and he completed his medical oncology fellowship at Johns Hopkins Hospital. During his training, Dr. Spira was granted many awards and honors, and he completed several specialized fellowship programs. Among these honors were the National Institutes of Health Medical Scientist Training Program Fellowship (1990-1997), Merck Corporation Scholarship (1995-1995), Pediatric AIDS Foundation Fellowship (1993-1995) and Harvard University Scholarship (1987-1990). Dr. Spira has also received his PhD from the New York University School of Arts and Sciences. As director of the VCS Research Institute and the Phase I Trial Program, Dr. Spira is actively involved in advancing medicine and targeted treatment options for patients. Although his research interests are numerous, Dr. Spira particularly enjoys studying immunotherapy, personalized medicine, GI and thoracic cancers, and lung cancers. He also serves as the medical director for the Inova Thoracic Oncology Program and as chair of the US Oncology Pathways Taskforce Committee for Lung Cancer. He is a member of the American Society of Clinical Oncology, the American Society of Hematology, the American Association of Cancer Research, the US Oncology Translational Oncology Program, the US Oncology Lung Cancer Program, and the International Society for the Advancement of Lung Cancer. Additionally, Dr. Spira is a Fellow of the American College of Physicians and author of various publications.
Media Contact: Kerry Sinclair, kerry.sinclair@gcihealth.com

Dr. Henri Winand
CEO
Intelligent Energy
Dr. Winand joined the board as chief executive on Sept. 1, 2006. He was previously vice president of corporate venturing at Rolls-Royce plc. During his time with Rolls-Royce, Dr. Winand managed a power systems business, introduced new manufacturing technologies into the group, and was responsible for defining and supervising the implementation of strategies for deriving additional value from the group's technology assets. Dr. Winand has a Ph.D. from the University of Cambridge, a master in business administration from the University of Warwick, and a BEng from Imperial College, London. He is a Governing Board member of the European Union's Fuel Cell Hydrogen Joint Undertaking (FCH JU) and Treasurer of the New Industrial Grouping; a member of the UK Government's Green Economy Council, advising the Secretaries of State for DECC, DEFRA and BIS; and, until recently, a member of the University of Cambridge's Alumni Advisory Board. He can speak to a variety of topics, including consumer energy concerns; new and novel ways to meet energy needs; renewable and sustainable energy sources like wind, solar and hydrogen; battery life of consumer electronics; "off the grid" power; wireless power now and in the future; the wireless economy; distributed power and generation; and hydrogen fuel cell technology in automotive and consumer electronics.
Media Contact: Shasta Smith, mshasta.smith@blancandotus.com

Dr. David L. Downie
Associate Professor and Director, Environmental Studies Program
Associate Professor, Politics Department
Fairfield University
Dr. Downie conducts research on national and global environmental issues and policy. He has attended dozens of global environmental negotiations on climate change, stratospheric ozone protection, toxic chemicals and sustainable development, and helped the Secretariat draft summary documents at the ozone, persistent organic pollutants and mercury negotiations. His recent work includes "Global Environmental Politics, 6th Edition" (2013), written with Pamela Chasek, and "Climate Change: A Reference Handbook" (2009). Prior to joining Fairfield University in 2008, Dr. Downie taught courses in environmental politics at Columbia University from 1994-2008 where he also served as director of the Global Roundtable on Climate Change (2004-2008), associate director of the Graduate Program in Climate and Society (2004-2008), director of the Earth Institute Fellows Program (2002-2004), and director of Environmental Policy Studies (MIA program) at the School of International and Public Affairs (1994-2000).
Fairfield University is a Jesuit University, rooted in one of the world's oldest intellectual and spiritual traditions. More than 5,000 undergraduate and graduate students from 36 states, 47 foreign countries, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico are enrolled in the University's five schools. In the spirit of rigorous and sympathetic inquiry into all dimensions of human experience, Fairfield welcomes students from diverse backgrounds to share ideas and engage in open conversations. The university is located in the heart of a region where the future takes shape, on a stunning campus on the Connecticut coast, located just an hour from Manhattan.
Media Contact: Meg McCaffrey, mmccaffrey@fairfield.edu

David R. Brown
Professor, Program for Applied Ethics
Fairfield University
Brown, an environmental scientist, has several projects in progress; the most pressing is the establishment of an Environmental Health Clinic in southwestern Pennsylvania to support persons whose health is impacted by gas extraction. It involves over a dozen health scientists and is funded by three foundations. He currently directs the science portion of the project. It is to be ongoing and is not a research study.
Fairfield University is a Jesuit University, rooted in one of the world's oldest intellectual and spiritual traditions. More than 5,000 undergraduate and graduate students from 36 states, 47 foreign countries, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico are enrolled in the University's five schools. In the spirit of rigorous and sympathetic inquiry into all dimensions of human experience, Fairfield welcomes students from diverse backgrounds to share ideas and engage in open conversations. The university is located in the heart of a region where the future takes shape, on a stunning campus on the Connecticut coast, located just an hour from Manhattan.
Website: http://www.environmentalhealthproject.org/about/
Media Contact: Meg McCaffrey, mmccaffrey@fairfield.edu

Dr. Shanon Reckinger
Clare Boothe Luce Professor, Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering
Fairfield University
Dr. Reckinger's research deals with developing numerical methods to improve the accuracy and efficiency of ocean models. Ocean modeling is just one component of the large global climate models that are used to help understand how and why climate is changing.
Fairfield University is a Jesuit University, rooted in one of the world's oldest intellectual and spiritual traditions. More than 5,000 undergraduate and graduate students from 36 states, 47 foreign countries, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico are enrolled in the University's five schools. In the spirit of rigorous and sympathetic inquiry into all dimensions of human experience, Fairfield welcomes students from diverse backgrounds to share ideas and engage in open conversations. The university is located in the heart of a region where the future takes shape, on a stunning campus on the Connecticut coast, located just an hour from Manhattan.
Media Contact: Meg McCaffrey, mmccaffrey@fairfield.edu

Dr. Debra M. Strauss
Associate Professor of Business Law
Fairfield University
Dr. Strauss has been noted for presenting models for food security and the labeling and monitoring of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) in food. A Yale Law School graduate and Food and Drug Law Institute Scholar, her articles on the international law and trade, ethical, intellectual property, food safety, sustainability, and legal liability aspects of GMOs, including risks to human health and the environment, have been published in prominent journals such as the Food and Drug Law Journal, Journal of Food Law & Policy, Stanford Journal of International Law, American Business Law Journal, Journal of Legal Studies in Business, and The International Lawyer. Her work has been cited by legal authorities and the courts, as well as by other academics.
Fairfield University is a Jesuit University, rooted in one of the world's oldest intellectual and spiritual traditions. More than 5,000 undergraduate and graduate students from 36 states, 47 foreign countries, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico are enrolled in the University's five schools. In the spirit of rigorous and sympathetic inquiry into all dimensions of human experience, Fairfield welcomes students from diverse backgrounds to share ideas and engage in open conversations. The university is located in the heart of a region where the future takes shape, on a stunning campus on the Connecticut coast, located just an hour from Manhattan.
Media Contact: Meg McCaffrey, mmccaffrey@fairfield.edu

Dr. Toby Svoboda
Assistant Professor of Philosophy
Fairfield University
Dr. Svoboda's research focuses on environmental ethics and ethical theory. He has taught and written about ethical issues surrounding climate change, proposed geoengineering responses to climate change, and environmental ethics. He is also conversant with policy debates in some of these areas.
Fairfield University is a Jesuit University, rooted in one of the world's oldest intellectual and spiritual traditions. More than 5,000 undergraduate and graduate students from 36 states, 47 foreign countries, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico are enrolled in the University's five schools. In the spirit of rigorous and sympathetic inquiry into all dimensions of human experience, Fairfield welcomes students from diverse backgrounds to share ideas and engage in open conversations. The university is located in the heart of a region where the future takes shape, on a stunning campus on the Connecticut coast, located just an hour from Manhattan.
Media Contact: Meg McCaffrey, mmccaffrey@fairfield.edu

Dr. Michael Tucker
Professor of Finance, Dolan School of Business
Fairfield University
Dr. Tucker has looked at the economic viability of sustainable energy use (geothermal usage on the Fairfield University campus), using carbon tradable offsets, climate change and insurance and carbon dioxide (CO2) and gross domestic product (GDP). There are ways to ameliorate climate change but the prospects of effective solutions are more political than economic, he said.
Fairfield University is a Jesuit University, rooted in one of the world's oldest intellectual and spiritual traditions. More than 5,000 undergraduate and graduate students from 36 states, 47 foreign countries, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico are enrolled in the University's five schools. In the spirit of rigorous and sympathetic inquiry into all dimensions of human experience, Fairfield welcomes students from diverse backgrounds to share ideas and engage in open conversations. The university is located in the heart of a region where the future takes shape, on a stunning campus on the Connecticut coast, located just an hour from Manhattan.
Media Contact: Meg McCaffrey, mmccaffrey@fairfield.edu

Dr. Shahrokh Etemad
Associate Professor and Chair, Mechanical Engineering Department
Fairfield University
Dr. Etemad has performed research from basic concept development to commercialization in advanced turbo machinery and energy fields. He has broad experience on basic concept and design development, computational modeling and experimental testing developing innovative technologies to maturation and product insertion. His research focus covers areas of gas turbine with focus on novel low emissions combustions, compressor efficiency enhancement using abradable seals and engine efficiency improvement using recuperators. His research interest also includes turbo machinery such as quite scroll compressor for HVAC and advances in internal combustion engines. He has numerous patents.
Fairfield University is a Jesuit University, rooted in one of the world's oldest intellectual and spiritual traditions. More than 5,000 undergraduate and graduate students from 36 states, 47 foreign countries, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico are enrolled in the University's five schools. In the spirit of rigorous and sympathetic inquiry into all dimensions of human experience, Fairfield welcomes students from diverse backgrounds to share ideas and engage in open conversations. The university is located in the heart of a region where the future takes shape, on a stunning campus on the Connecticut coast, located just an hour from Manhattan.
Media Contact: Meg McCaffrey, mmccaffrey@fairfield.edu

Dr. Diane Brousseau
Biology Professor
Fairfield University
Dr. Brousseau's research focuses on marine ecology. For the past few years, she has been involved in the study of the population dynamics of commercially important shellfish and the ecological impacts of the invasive Asian shore crab on native biota in the Long Island Sound. Past research interests have involved study of parasitic disease in oysters (Perkinsus marinus) and hematopoietic neoplasms in clams and mussels. She has been a visiting investigator at the National Marine Fisheries Laboratory in Milford, Conn., since 1999.
Fairfield University is a Jesuit University, rooted in one of the world's oldest intellectual and spiritual traditions. More than 5,000 undergraduate and graduate students from 36 states, 47 foreign countries, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico are enrolled in the University's five schools. In the spirit of rigorous and sympathetic inquiry into all dimensions of human experience, Fairfield welcomes students from diverse backgrounds to share ideas and engage in open conversations. The university is located in the heart of a region where the future takes shape, on a stunning campus on the Connecticut coast, located just an hour from Manhattan.
Media Contact: Meg McCaffrey, mmccaffrey@fairfield.edu

Dr. Jen Klug
Associate Professor of Biology
Fairfield University
Dr. Klug has spent the last eight years monitoring and studying Connecticut's Lake Lillinonah's algae blooms, which cause numerous environmental problems including low oxygen levels and loss of aesthetic value. Lake Lillinonah, the state's second largest lake, is one of the state's premier fishing holes, a fact not lost on both savvy anglers and the many bald eagles that roost along its 45 miles of serene shoreline from Southbury to New Milford. She's also co-director of the university's campus community garden, which serves as an outdoor classroom.
Fairfield University is a Jesuit University, rooted in one of the world's oldest intellectual and spiritual traditions. More than 5,000 undergraduate and graduate students from 36 states, 47 foreign countries, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico are enrolled in the University's five schools. In the spirit of rigorous and sympathetic inquiry into all dimensions of human experience, Fairfield welcomes students from diverse backgrounds to share ideas and engage in open conversations. The university is located in the heart of a region where the future takes shape, on a stunning campus on the Connecticut coast, located just an hour from Manhattan.
Media Contact: Meg McCaffrey, mmccaffrey@fairfield.edu

Dr. Ryan Munden
Assistant Professor of Electrical Engineering
Fairfield University
Dr. Munden can speak about nanotechnology and solar energy. His research focuses on the growth and characterization of semiconductor nanowires for novel electronics and photovoltaic applications. He has extensive experience in electronics characterization, high-throughput automated measurement systems, cryogenics, photolithography, MOCVD, and chemical beam epitaxy reactor design and construction.
Fairfield University is a Jesuit University, rooted in one of the world's oldest intellectual and spiritual traditions. More than 5,000 undergraduate and graduate students from 36 states, 47 foreign countries, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico are enrolled in the University's five schools. In the spirit of rigorous and sympathetic inquiry into all dimensions of human experience, Fairfield welcomes students from diverse backgrounds to share ideas and engage in open conversations. The university is located in the heart of a region where the future takes shape, on a stunning campus on the Connecticut coast, located just an hour from Manhattan.
Media Contact: Meg McCaffrey, mmccaffrey@fairfield.edu

Dr. Dina Franceschi
Associate Professor of Economics
Fairfield University
Dr. Franceschi teaches environmental economics, and is researching the economics/valuation of clean water in Latin America and how much consumers are willing to pay for both greater quality and access of service. She has facilitated numerous student immersion trips to Nicaragua where she has worked on a project to improve water service in Leon, and continues to work with applications in Belize and Brazil. She has published numerous works in a variety of peer-reviewed publications, dealing with subjects such as sustainability and a tax-based system for the global reduction of greenhouse gas emissions.
Fairfield University is a Jesuit University, rooted in one of the world's oldest intellectual and spiritual traditions. More than 5,000 undergraduate and graduate students from 36 states, 47 foreign countries, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico are enrolled in the University's five schools. In the spirit of rigorous and sympathetic inquiry into all dimensions of human experience, Fairfield welcomes students from diverse backgrounds to share ideas and engage in open conversations. The university is located in the heart of a region where the future takes shape, on a stunning campus on the Connecticut coast, located just an hour from Manhattan.
Media Contact: Meg McCaffrey, mmccaffrey@fairfield.edu

David Frassinelli
Associate Vice President for Facilities Management
Fairfield University
Frassinelli is in charge of sustainability endeavors and green construction (Fairfield builds to a LEED silver standard). His many projects include overseeing the university's eco-friendly, EPA award-winning combined heat and power plant; the AIA-award winning Jesuit Community Center, complete with geo-thermal unit; educational dashboards that track student apartment energy usage; and chairing the Campus Sustainability Committee.
Fairfield University is a Jesuit University, rooted in one of the world's oldest intellectual and spiritual traditions. More than 5,000 undergraduate and graduate students from 36 states, 47 foreign countries, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico are enrolled in the University's five schools. In the spirit of rigorous and sympathetic inquiry into all dimensions of human experience, Fairfield welcomes students from diverse backgrounds to share ideas and engage in open conversations. The university is located in the heart of a region where the future takes shape, on a stunning campus on the Connecticut coast, located just an hour from Manhattan.
Media Contact: Meg McCaffrey, mmccaffrey@fairfield.edu

Dr. Evangelos Hadjimichael
Professor of Physics and Engineering
Fairfield University
Dr. Hadjimichael is the founding dean of Fairfield University's School of Engineering. He was instrumental in merging the Bridgeport Engineering Institute with Fairfield University, thus establishing Fairfield's School of Engineering. His research interests include nuclear and elementary particles, nanoscience and nanotechnology, and photovoltaic solar energy conversion. His study of solar energy has involved installing a 12.5 kW solar array, over 2,800 square feet, on a student residence facility on campus. Further, he shepherded the establishment of a statewide nanotechnology minor linking the university with research institutions. Recently, the Connecticut Academy of Science and Engineering (CASE) has elected Dr. Hadjimichael to membership in its select organization, and the Connecticut Legislature has appointed him to the Planning Commission for Higher Education in Connecticut.
Fairfield University is a Jesuit University, rooted in one of the world's oldest intellectual and spiritual traditions. More than 5,000 undergraduate and graduate students from 36 states, 47 foreign countries, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico are enrolled in the University's five schools. In the spirit of rigorous and sympathetic inquiry into all dimensions of human experience, Fairfield welcomes students from diverse backgrounds to share ideas and engage in open conversations. The university is located in the heart of a region where the future takes shape, on a stunning campus on the Connecticut coast, located just an hour from Manhattan.
Media Contact: Meg McCaffrey, mmccaffrey@fairfield.edu

Jim Fitzpatrick
Assistant Vice President of Administration and Student Affairs
Fairfield University
Fitzpatrick oversees a successful "trayless" initiative at Fairfield. In a "green" move, the student dining hall no longer offers trays on which students can place their food and beverages. It is part of an ongoing campus-wide sustainability initiative. University officials estimate that a 20-30% reduction in solid food waste has resulted and lesser amounts of beverages are being thrown out, especially milk, plus there have been significant savings in electricity and water usage.
Fairfield University is a Jesuit University, rooted in one of the world's oldest intellectual and spiritual traditions. More than 5,000 undergraduate and graduate students from 36 states, 47 foreign countries, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico are enrolled in the University's five schools. In the spirit of rigorous and sympathetic inquiry into all dimensions of human experience, Fairfield welcomes students from diverse backgrounds to share ideas and engage in open conversations. The university is located in the heart of a region where the future takes shape, on a stunning campus on the Connecticut coast, located just an hour from Manhattan.
Media Contact: Meg McCaffrey, mmccaffrey@fairfield.edu

Dr. Scott Lacy
Associate Professor of Anthropology
Fairfield University
Dr. Lacy teaches anthropology, environmental studies, and black studies courses. He is also the founder and executive director of African Sky, Inc., a non-profit organization that collaborates with hardworking farm families in Mali, West Africa. As part of his work with African Sky, he completed construction on a rural school with three classrooms using manually pressed earth blocks (using only 5% cement as a stabilizer). He and colleagues are set to start building another school. His research interests include cross-cultural technology, community development, food production, and intellectual property rights associated with seed.
Fairfield University is a Jesuit University, rooted in one of the world's oldest intellectual and spiritual traditions. More than 5,000 undergraduate and graduate students from 36 states, 47 foreign countries, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico are enrolled in the University's five schools. In the spirit of rigorous and sympathetic inquiry into all dimensions of human experience, Fairfield welcomes students from diverse backgrounds to share ideas and engage in open conversations. The university is located in the heart of a region where the future takes shape, on a stunning campus on the Connecticut coast, located just an hour from Manhattan.
Media Contact: Meg McCaffrey, mmccaffrey@fairfield.edu

Dr. Tod Osier
Associate Professor of Biology
Fairfield University
Dr. Osier is co-director of Fairfield University's campus community garden that serves as an outdoor classroom. It provides produce to campus dining halls and a food bank. With the help of students, they just installed a man-made beehive to aid with pollination efforts. This comes as the entire country has seen a decline in honeybees, a major problem to farmers as bees provide vital pollen to produce fruits and vegetables.
Fairfield University is a Jesuit University, rooted in one of the world's oldest intellectual and spiritual traditions. More than 5,000 undergraduate and graduate students from 36 states, 47 foreign countries, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico are enrolled in the University's five schools. In the spirit of rigorous and sympathetic inquiry into all dimensions of human experience, Fairfield welcomes students from diverse backgrounds to share ideas and engage in open conversations. The university is located in the heart of a region where the future takes shape, on a stunning campus on the Connecticut coast, located just an hour from Manhattan.
Media Contact: Meg McCaffrey, mmccaffrey@fairfield.edu

Dr. Shannon Gerry
Assistant Professor of Biology
Fairfield University
Dr. Gerry is interested in feeding and locomotion of fish -- two behaviors that are essential for survival. Previous research has compared the feeding behaviors, mechanics and diet of two species of sharks from Narragansett Bay, R.I. Current research in her lab uses freshwater stingrays and bluegill sunfish to integrate aspects of morphology (anatomy), muscle physiology, behavior and performance in order to understand how one animal may be better suited to perform one task and not another.
Fairfield University is a Jesuit University, rooted in one of the world's oldest intellectual and spiritual traditions. More than 5,000 undergraduate and graduate students from 36 states, 47 foreign countries, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico are enrolled in the University's five schools. In the spirit of rigorous and sympathetic inquiry into all dimensions of human experience, Fairfield welcomes students from diverse backgrounds to share ideas and engage in open conversations. The university is located in the heart of a region where the future takes shape, on a stunning campus on the Connecticut coast, located just an hour from Manhattan.
Media Contact: Meg McCaffrey, mmccaffrey@fairfield.edu

Dr. James E. Biardi
Associate Professor of Biology
Fairfield University
Dr. Biardi is a vertebrate ecologist with interests in how small mammals defend themselves against predation from venomous snakes. His current research focuses on population and species differences in serum-based factors in small mammals that neutralize rattlesnake venom toxins. He is also a member of Fairfield University's Campus Sustainability Committee, which is drafting a campus sustainability plan.
Fairfield University is a Jesuit University, rooted in one of the world's oldest intellectual and spiritual traditions. More than 5,000 undergraduate and graduate students from 36 states, 47 foreign countries, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico are enrolled in the University's five schools. In the spirit of rigorous and sympathetic inquiry into all dimensions of human experience, Fairfield welcomes students from diverse backgrounds to share ideas and engage in open conversations. The university is located in the heart of a region where the future takes shape, on a stunning campus on the Connecticut coast, located just an hour from Manhattan.
Media Contact: Meg McCaffrey, mmccaffrey@fairfield.edu

Dr. L. Kraig Steffen
Associate Professor and Chair, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry
Fairfield University
Dr. Steffen's most relevant work with environmental science has been the teaching of a chemistry, energy, and environment course through which he helps students understand the importance of basic science and chemistry in meeting the energy challenges we face in the 21st century.
Fairfield University is a Jesuit University, rooted in one of the world's oldest intellectual and spiritual traditions. More than 5,000 undergraduate and graduate students from 36 states, 47 foreign countries, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico are enrolled in the University's five schools. In the spirit of rigorous and sympathetic inquiry into all dimensions of human experience, Fairfield welcomes students from diverse backgrounds to share ideas and engage in open conversations. The university is located in the heart of a region where the future takes shape, on a stunning campus on the Connecticut coast, located just an hour from Manhattan.
Media Contact: Meg McCaffrey, mmccaffrey@fairfield.edu

Dr. Brian Walker
Associate Professor of Biology
Fairfield University
Dr. Walker focuses his research on issues of physiological stress in animals as a consequence of human activities. His research has taken him all over the world, including Alaska, Ecuador, Greenland, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and Argentina. Most recently, Dr. Walker was awarded a Fulbright Fellowship to spend the fall semester of 2012 in Brazil, where he worked with colleagues on various questions of stress in native Brazilian species. In addition to this work, he also has projects locally in Connecticut, including collaborative work with biologists from UCONN, on the introduced monk parakeet.
Fairfield University is a Jesuit University, rooted in one of the world's oldest intellectual and spiritual traditions. More than 5,000 undergraduate and graduate students from 36 states, 47 foreign countries, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico are enrolled in the University's five schools. In the spirit of rigorous and sympathetic inquiry into all dimensions of human experience, Fairfield welcomes students from diverse backgrounds to share ideas and engage in open conversations. The university is located in the heart of a region where the future takes shape, on a stunning campus on the Connecticut coast, located just an hour from Manhattan.
Media Contact: Meg McCaffrey, mmccaffrey@fairfield.edu

Dr. William F. Vásquez
Associate Professor of Economics
Fairfield University
Dr. Vásquez specializes in environmental issues and economic development of Latin America. Originally from Guatemala, his academic credentials include four master degrees, and a Ph.D. in economics from the University of New Mexico. He has worked as a consultant for the International Food and Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), the United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), and the Central American Institute of Fiscal Studies (ICEFI). Dr. Vásquez has implemented household and community surveys in Guatemala, Mexico, and Nicaragua. Currently, his research projects focus on household preferences and behaviors regarding the provision of public services such as drinking water, sanitation, education, health care, and agricultural services. His research has been published in several academic and policy journals.
Fairfield University is a Jesuit University, rooted in one of the world's oldest intellectual and spiritual traditions. More than 5,000 undergraduate and graduate students from 36 states, 47 foreign countries, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico are enrolled in the University's five schools. In the spirit of rigorous and sympathetic inquiry into all dimensions of human experience, Fairfield welcomes students from diverse backgrounds to share ideas and engage in open conversations. The university is located in the heart of a region where the future takes shape, on a stunning campus on the Connecticut coast, located just an hour from Manhattan.
Media Contact: Meg McCaffrey, mmccaffrey@fairfield.edu

Shahzeen Attari, Ph.D.
Indiana University School of Public and Environmental Affairs
Attari, a water conservation and energy consumption expert, specializes in behavioral science and the psychology of resource use. "My goal is to identify factors that promote resource conservation and sustainability," says Attari. Her current work investigates the effects of real-time energy feedback and understanding factors that influence smallholder farmer decision making related to water use while facing growing human needs and increasing climate variability. Attari's insights on public perceptions of energy consumption have been featured in many outlets, such as The Economist, The New York Times, CNN and BBC.
Website: https://spea.indiana.edu/index.html
Media Contact: Agata Porter, agata.porter@finnpartners.com

Christopher Craft, Ph.D.
Indiana University School of Public and Environmental Affairs
Craft, a professional wetland scientist, is the director of the Ph.D. Program in Environmental Science at the School of Public and Environmental Affairs. He specializes in natural carbon sequestering capabilities of wetlands and the effects of climate change and eutrophication on wetlands. For the past 30 years, Craft has studied the effects of these and other human activities on estuarine and freshwater wetlands and the restoration of those ecosystems. His research projects span North America, Europe and China. His work is focused on the linkages between vegetation, soils and soil fauna as well as the effects of human activities on these linkages. Craft's long-term restoration studies in salt marshes are considered some of the best research to date in the field of restoration science.
Website: https://spea.indiana.edu/index.html
Media Contact: Agata Porter, agata.porter@finnpartners.com

Diane Henshel, Ph.D.
Indiana University School of Public and Environmental Affairs
Henshel is an expert on the sub-lethal health effectives of environmental pollutants. Her research focuses on the effects of pollutants on wildlife and human health. She is also the principal in Henshel EnviroComm, a technical and risk communication-focused consulting company that provides technical support to government agencies and communities addressing environmental contamination. Henshel has served on numerous boards, panels and advisory committees for agencies including the U.S.-Canada International Joint Commission, the Environmental Protection Agency and the National Research Council.
Website: https://spea.indiana.edu/index.html
Media Contact: Agata Porter, agata.porter@finnpartners.com

Amina Salamova, Ph.D.
Indiana University School of Public and Environmental Affairs
Salamova, an environmental chemist, can discuss toxic pollutants in the environment. Her research interests lie in detecting persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in various environmental media, such as outdoor and indoor air, biota and humans. Salamova's work primarily focuses on determining spatial and temporal trends of POPs in regional and global environments and investigating human exposure routes and rates to POPs. Salamova is currently participating in an Indiana University Collaborative Research Grant Project to develop noninvasive human biomarkers, such as hair and nails, for assessing human exposure to flame retardants, a wide spread group of POPs.
Website: https://spea.indiana.edu/index.html
Media Contact: Agata Porter, agata.porter@finnpartners.com

Philip Stevens, Ph.D.
Indiana University School of Public and Environmental Affairs
Stevens, the Environmental Science Faculty Chair is available to discuss air quality and pollution. Stevens studies the characterization of the chemical mechanisms in the atmosphere that influence regional air quality and global climate change. Much of his current research is focused on improving the understanding of the influence of biogenic emissions and their oxidation products on the chemistry of the atmosphere. As a leading scholar in the field of atmospheric chemistry, Stevens' research guides policymakers and government regulators working to improve air quality and mitigate climate change.
Website: https://spea.indiana.edu/index.html
Media Contact: Agata Porter, agata.porter@finnpartners.com

John Rupp, M.S.
Indiana University School of Public and Environmental Affairs
Rupp, an energy and geology expert is available to discuss the Keystone XL Pipeline and other topics related to energy, oil and gas systems, subsurface geology, unconventional reservoirs and carbon sequestration. Besides being an adjunct professor at SPEA, Rupp is also a Senior Research Scientist at the Indiana Geological Survey where he works on technical issues associated with petroleum production, geological sequestration of carbon dioxide and controls on development of natural gas from shales and coals.
Website: https://spea.indiana.edu/index.html
Media Contact: Agata Porter, agata.porter@finnpartners.com

Cliff Davidson
Professor, Environmental Engineering
Syracuse University
Davidson works closely with the City of Syracuse on the Save the Rain initiative and researching the impact of green roofs in solving issues related to water runoff. He is a leader in sustainability education and has developed a training program. He can also offer tips on how to make your life more sustainable.
Media Contact: Ariel DuChene, adduchen@syr.edu

Jianshun (Jensen) Zhang
Professor, Mechanical Engineering
Zhang is an indoor air quality expert and exploring the effects of indoor environmental quality on occupant exposure, productivity and creativity.
Media Contact: Ariel DuChene, adduchen@syr.edu

Charles Driscoll
Professor, Environmental Engineering
National Academy of Engineering Member
Driscoll's research explores the impact of air emissions standards on air and water quality. He has been instrumental in evaluating the EPA recommended standards and reporting on the environmental and health effects of these changes.
Media Contact: Ariel DuChene, adduchen@syr.edu

Paul Snyder
Vice President, Corporate Responsibility – Environment Sustainability & Public Affairs
InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG)
Snyder leads IHG's global sustainability strategy and execution for the company's 4,800 hotels in 100 countries around the world. IHG recently made a major environmental commitment by rolling out the IHG Green Engage program across its global hotel portfolio. The program measures energy, water and provides over 200 Green Solutions to help hotels manage their environment impact. IHG Green Engage hotels are saving an average of $90,000 a year on their utility expenses. Snyder also co-leads diversity initiatives for the Americas region, and also directs the company's public affairs activities with efforts in Washington, D.C., and local communities to advocate for IHG and the hospitality industry as a whole. Snyder joined IHG in 2003, and held the role of vice president of portfolio operations for the Americas. Other positions during his time at IHG include vice president of development, marketing and vice president of operations and brand management.
Media Contact: Karen Zhu, karen.zhu@hkstrategies.com, mkzhu@samcor.net

Diana Urge-Vorsatz
Professor
Central European University
Urge-Vorsatz played a leadership role (coordinating lead author) in the Nobel Peace Prize-winning Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change when it received the award in 2007. As an expert on global climate change and mitigation, she continues to work on IPCC assessment teams. She is also an expert on residential and commercial building mitigation and energy efficiency (how to make buildings more "green"). She is a founding member of the Hungarian Green Building Council. She speaks English and Hungarian.
Bio: http://people.ceu.edu/diana_urge-vorsatz
Media Contact: Colleen Sharkey, sharkeyc@ceu.edu

Tamara Steger
Associate Professor
Central European University
Steger focuses on civic action for environmental and social justice, climate justice activism, Critical Mass, the anti-fracking movement, and environmental discourse and media analyses. She founded CEU's Sustainability Advisory Committee.
Bio: http://people.ceu.edu/tamara_steger
Media Contact: Colleen Sharkey, sharkeyc@ceu.edu

Logan Strenchock
Sustainability Officer
Central European University
Strenchock oversees Sustainable CEU, a campus organization that oversees the university's commitment to sustainability, and to becoming a model of sustainability in higher education. The university is a signatory to the COPERNICUS University Charter for Sustainable Development and has its own Sustainable Development Policy. Strenchock created the university's Edible Garden and its Bike-Sharing program, the only one of its kind in Budapest. Sustainable CEU was recently boosted by a $30,000 grant from the U.S. State Department to establish Hungary's first university sustainability network. Strenchock will oversee this program, in addition to his duties on campus and on a local organic farm. He can answer questions about organic farming/growing, food waste, recycling, upcycling, food packaging, and university sustainability issues.
Bio: http://people.ceu.edu/logan_strenchock
Media Contact: Colleen Sharkey, sharkeyc@ceu.edu

Kathy Abusow
President and CEO
Sustainable Forestry Initiative Inc.
Abusow is president and CEO of the Sustainable Forestry Initiative Inc. (SFI), an independent nonprofit organization dedicated to responsible forestry. Abusow is available to discuss the importance of forest certification, the impacts of certification on sustainable procurement and how sustainable forest management benefits water quality and biodiversity.
Abusow has led and moderated discussions at Fortune Brainstorm Green on themes related to supply chain management and the new economics of land. She has also spoken at RISI's North American Forest Products Conference on Evaluating the Business Case for Sustainable Practices. Most recently, she spoke at The Economist's World Forest Summit in Stockholm on a panel that addressed illegal logging and timber regulations, as well at as the World Business Council on Sustainable Development's Forest Solutions Working Group.
Media Contact: Liz Woodworth, Elizabeth.Woodworth@sfiprogram.org

Paul Trianosky
VP, Conservation & External Affairs
Sustainable Forestry Initiative Inc.
Trianosky is vice president of conservation and external affairs of Sustainable Forestry Initiative Inc. (SFI), a nonprofit organization dedicated to responsible forestry. He supports SFI by acting as the principle liaison with conservation organizations, seeking to maintain existing partnerships and grow the network of conservation organizations involved in the SFI Program and working with SFI program participants. He also manages the Conservation and Community Partnerships Grant Program and monitors conservation research developments to identify opportunities to further the SFI Program and activities of SFI Program Participants. Trianosky brings nearly 30 years of experience in forestry, nonprofit management, forest certification, building collaborative partnerships, and strategizing to achieve landscape-scale conservation. An expert in forest conservation, he is available to discuss the importance of conservation research.
Media Contact: Liz Woodworth, Elizabeth.Woodworth@sfiprogram.org

Andrew De Vries
VP, Conservation & Indigenous Relations
Sustainable Forestry Initiative Inc.
De Vries is vice president of conservation and indigenous relations of Sustainable Forestry Initiative Inc. (SFI), a nonprofit organization dedicated to responsible forestry. He oversees SFI's North American conservation program and engages Native Americans, First Nations and Metis groups both in the development and use of the SFI standard. He also works with governments in Canada on forest management and conservation policies. He has worked in western Canada, U.S. and Costa Rica, and has over two decades of experience in natural resource management at both the field and national policy level. He has previously sat on the North American Bird Conservation Initiative (NABCI) Council, NCASI's Canadian Forestry Task Group, and the Forest Products Sector Council on Human Resources. De Vries is currently a member of the Conference Board of Canada's Council on Corporate Aboriginal Relations. An expert on forest management and conservation, he is available to discuss conservation policies and the importance of including Aboriginal and Tribal input in the development of conservation policies.
Media Contact: Liz Woodworth, Elizabeth.Woodworth@sfiprogram.org

Dr. Stephen Mulkey
President
Unity College
Mulkey holds a B.S. in forestry, fisheries and wildlife, and an M.A. in biology and ecology, both from the University of Missouri. His Ph.D. in biology and ecology is from the University of Pennsylvania. His scientific research includes ecosystems spanning the globe, and he is recognized for research and program development relevant to climate change. At Unity, he installed sustainability science as the framework for the entire college curriculum; received and stewarded the college's first major gift, $10 million; divested the endowment ($15.5 million) from the 200 largest fossil fuel companies; constructed two new residence halls (built to LEED silver standard) and new dining hall (total construction more than $10 million); and created Unity College's premier graduate degree, a professional science graduate program in sustainability science.
Unity College proudly celebrates its 50th year in 2015. The first institution of higher education in the nation to divest from fossil fuel investments, Unity is committed to educating the next generation of environmental professionals. Sustainability science lies at the heart of its educational mission, with 16 environmentally focused undergraduate majors offered on campus, and launching online graduate degrees in fall 2015.
Website: http://www.unity.edu
Media Contact: Bob Mentzinger, bmentzinger@unity.edu

Dr. Melik Peter Khoury
Executive Vice President
Unity College
Dr. Khoury is the executive vice president and liaison to the Board of Trustees at Unity College. Through strategic and innovative initiatives, Dr. Khoury provides college-wide leadership for optimal positioning of the institution in a globally competitive, higher education market. The EVP is the chief financial and administrative officer and maintains the communication between the college and the Board of Trustees in his role as liaison. Dr. Khoury 's reporting portfolio includes oversight of the following entities: the business office including accounts, purchasing, payroll and student accounts; the bookstore; campus dining and catering services; facilities, maintenance, and public safety; human resources; information technology; development, alumni and grants; and the college operations center.
Unity College proudly celebrates its 50th year in 2015. The first institution of higher education in the nation to divest from fossil fuel investments, Unity is committed to educating the next generation of environmental professionals. Sustainability science lies at the heart of its educational mission, with 16 environmentally focused undergraduate majors offered on campus, and launching online graduate degrees in fall 2015.
Website: http://www.unity.edu
Media Contact: Bob Mentzinger, bmentzinger@unity.edu

Mick Womersley
Professor of Human Ecology, Center for Sustainability and Global Change
Unity College
Born in northern England, Womersley guided in Montana for two years prior to attending the University of Montana for a biology degree and a master's in resource conservation from the Forestry School. He then went on to the University of Maryland Policy School, where he studied under Peter G. Brown, Herman Daly, Mark Sagoff, Steve Fetter, and Carmen Reinhart, among other important academics working in the nexus between sustainability, ethics, and economics. He graduated with distinctions in normative analysis and economics in the year 2002, following successful completion of a dissertation on American religiosity and climate science acceptance. After a short stint at the University of Georgia's Institute of Ecology, Womersley came to Unity College to help develop the sustainability programs in the year 2000. He teaches classes in climate change, sustainability, economics, and energy. His current research interests are in wind power assessment and mapping. Each summer, he runs a field program in wind measurements to support this work, using students as crew members.
Unity College proudly celebrates its 50th year in 2015. The first institution of higher education in the nation to divest from fossil fuel investments, Unity is committed to educating the next generation of environmental professionals. Sustainability science lies at the heart of its educational mission, with 16 environmentally focused undergraduate majors offered on campus, and launching online graduate degrees in fall 2015.
Website: http://www.unity.edu
Media Contact: Bob Mentzinger, bmentzinger@unity.edu

Mary Saunders Bulan
Assistant Professor of Sustainable Agricultural Enterprise, Center for Sustainability and Global Change
Unity College
Dr. Bulan is broadly interested in the interface between humans, agriculture and the environment, and in the development of ecologically and economically sound food production systems. She uses a diversity of methodological tools including field-based research, controlled greenhouse studies, and qualitative and participatory approaches. For her Ph.D. research, she studied cover crops for vegetable producers in Wisconsin and buckwheat genetic diversity in the center of origin in southwest China. Previously, she owned and operated a two-acre CSA farm business outside Providence, R.I. Her current projects address year-round food production in cold climates, organic plant breeding and seed production, greenhouse energy-efficiency improvements and specialty crop development for Maine producers. Dr. Bulan holds a Ph.D. in agronomy from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and a BA in international relations from Brown University.
Unity College proudly celebrates its 50th year in 2015. The first institution of higher education in the nation to divest from fossil fuel investments, Unity is committed to educating the next generation of environmental professionals. Sustainability science lies at the heart of its educational mission, with 16 environmentally focused undergraduate majors offered on campus, and launching online graduate degrees in fall 2015.
Website: http://www.unity.edu
Media Contact: Bob Mentzinger, bmentzinger@unity.edu

Melody Badgett
Managing Director
1% for the Planet
Badgett joined 1% for the Planet because of her passion for the environment and appreciation for the way the organization partners with businesses to promote environmental change. For the past 18 years, she has been building businesses of all sizes. She has been CMO and COO of a startup sportswear and fundraising company that grew tenfold; consulted for Deloitte Consulting and IBM with clients such as Target, Ahold, Galeries Lafayette and Neiman Marcus; and helped build an Internet consulting company in the dot-com heyday. She recently led work for a research institute focused on the relationship between businesses and their customers, delivering results to senior executives and clients in global markets. In 2007, she joined 1% for the Planet and, since then, the organization has grown from 400 to 1,300 companies, on its way to becoming one of the biggest funders of environmental work out there. Badgett also currently serves on the board of 1% for the Planet's nonprofit partner, Keep-A-Breast. She is available to discuss the intersection of business, environment, and philanthropy, as well as conscious consumerism.
Media Contact: Michelle Searer, michelle@peoplemakinggood.com

Jenn Halpin
Farm Manager
Dickinson College Farm
Halpin manages Dickinson College's 50-acre, USDA-certified organic farm. Students in a wide variety of disciplines learn about renewable energy and sustainable agriculture through workshops and volunteering opportunities. The farm provides food to the campus and local community. The majority of the harvest is sold to the campus dining hall, with a significant portion earmarked for the farm's Campus Supported Agriculture (CSA) Program, a May-November produce subscription that feeds more than 155 members and their families. The farm also sells produce through a bountiful stand at Carlisle's thriving weekly farmers' market and donates thousands of pounds of fresh produce to a local food bank, Project S.H.A.R.E. The Dickinson College Farm raises produce, livestock, and aspiring farmers. After graduating from Providence College, Halpin joined the Peace Corps where she developed her interest in sustainable agriculture while living in West Africa and working with farmers. She serves as the president of the board of directors for Pennsylvania Association for Sustainable Agriculture and is an active member in the region's local food movement. Halpin is a founding member of Farmers on the Square, a vibrant producer-only farmers' market in Carlisle. She is available to discuss sustainable agriculture, composting, biogas, livestock management, solar/renewable energy and organic farming.
Media Contact: Christine Dugan, duganc@dickinson.edu

Matt Steiman
Assistant Farm Manager
Dickinson College Farm
Steiman has been farming organic vegetables since 1993, working on farms in Colorado, California and Minnesota before settling in the Cumberland Valley. For five seasons, he managed Fulton Farm at Wilson College, where he learned the ropes of running an educational CSA program and developed initial experience with renewable energy systems. Along with Jenn Halpin, Steiman then ran his own farm on rented ground for two seasons before signing on as a full-time farmer at Dickinson in 2007. In addition to regular farm duties at the Dickinson Farm, Steiman supervises equipment maintenance, irrigation, sheep and cattle, and works extensively with solar energy projects and biodiesel fuel applications for the college. He is available to discuss sustainable agriculture, composting, biogas, livestock management, solar/renewable energy and organic farming
Media Contact: Christine Dugan, duganc@dickinson.edu

Jeffrey W. Niemitz
Professor of Earth Sciences
Dickinson College
Niemitz attended the 20th Conference of the Parties (COP20) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in Lima, Peru, along with students enrolled in the college's Global Climate Change Mosaic. His specialties include low-temperature geochemistry, hydrogeology and paleoclimatology. His current research involves quality and quantity of groundwater resources on carbonate islands in the Bahamas, the effect of release of sediment and their included pollutants from 18th and 19th century milldams in Pennsylvania and geochemical indicators of paleoclimate in ancient lake sediments in the eastern United States. He's available to discuss climate change, climate change negotiations, extreme weather, and water quality and quantity.
Expert Contact: niemitz@dickinson.edu

Ben Edwards
Associate Professor of Earth Sciences
Dickinson College
Edwards has provided media commentary on volcanic activity in Peru, Hawaii, Iceland, Russia, and Alaska to publications including National Geographic, Live Science, Wired, New Scientist, Popular Science and The Christian Science Monitor. His research focus is glaciovolcanism (interactions between volcanoes and ice). His other interests include mineralogy, environmental hazards, the history of science, and the influence of plate tectonics on almost everything. His current research involves taking students to places like Monterrat (West Indies) to study xenoliths and volcanic stratigraphy, Iceland to study volcano-ice interactions, and northern British Columbia to map and collect samples of volcanic deposits, especially from volcanoes that erupted beneath or against ice. He is available to discuss natural disasters, volcanos and mineral resources.
Media Contact: Christine Dugan, duganc@dickinson.edu

Ken Shultes
Associate Vice President for Sustainability & Facilities Planning
Dickinson College
Shultes oversees the college's plan to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases (GHGs), with an ambitious target of driving down our net emissions to zero by the year 2020 and can speak to the challenges and opportunities of such an aggressive plan. He also has overseen the LEED Gold certification process four time. He serves on the board of directors of the USGBC Central Pennsylvania Chapter. He is available to discuss the climate action plan, green revolving loan fund, energy issues, LEED certification, energy management and renewable energy.
Media Contact: Christine Dugan, duganc@dickinson.edu

Julie Vastine
Director
Alliance for Aquatic Resource Monitoring (ALLARM)
Pennsylvania has more stream miles per land area than any other state in the nation, and its citizens are protective of this prized natural resource. Hundreds of volunteer-based watershed organizations are located throughout the state, and ALLARM recognized the need for technical assistance in these watershed communities in order to maximize volunteer efforts and promote the collection of scientifically robust data. Responding to concerns about potential impacts of shale gas extraction on water resources, ALLARM has developed a protocol for early detection of impacts and has run numerous workshops for citizen groups in areas of the state that overlay the Marcellus Shale formation. ALLARM, founded in 1986, is a project of the Dickinson College Environmental Studies Department. Vastine is available to discuss shale gas monitoring, fracking, community approaches to water quality issues, Chesapeake Bay community initiatives, stormwater education, and environmental education.
Media Contact: Christine Dugan, duganc@dickinson.edu

Neil Leary, Ph.D.
Director, Center for Sustainability Education
Dickinson College
Leary works with faculty, staff and students to create opportunities for students to learn ways for making systems more socially, economically and environmentally sustainable. He teaches courses on climate change risks and policies, strategies for colleges to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions and building sustainable communities. He has taken students to UN climate conferences in Copenhagen, Durban and Lima, where they have interviewed delegates about international climate policy. He has been an author and editorial board member for science assessment reports of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change since the 1990s, and he has led international climate change research and fellowship programs with more than 300 participating scientists and graduate students from over 50 countries. He is available to discuss greening higher education, sustainable communities, climate change risks to people, actions to address climate change risks, and international climate policy.
Media Contact: Christine Dugan, duganc@dickinson.edu

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