Climate Solutions Symposium 2024
New Partnerships for People and the Planet
The two-day Penn State Climate Solutions Symposium highlights innovations from numerous disciplines through dynamic breakout sessions, keynote talks from leaders in the climate solutions space, a poster session, and more. The event also features opportunities for attendees to network with like-minded individuals who are seeking climate solutions as collaborators, funders, or implementers in the themes of the Climate Consortium.
May 14–15, 2024
The Penn Stater Hotel and Conference Center
State College, Pennsylvania
Representatives from institutions of higher education, nonprofit agencies, donors, supporters, leaders in business, industry, and entrepreneurship, representatives from government agencies, and the public sector—we all have a critical role to play.
Neeli Bendapudi
President, Penn State University
Opening remarks, May 14, 2023
Speakers
The following is a list of invited speakers, panelists, and breakout session leads.
Paul Nicklen
Keynote Speaker
Penn State’s Climate Solutions Symposium is thrilled to announce award-winning nature photographer and conservationist Paul Nicklen as the keynote speaker. Nicklen’s presentation will took place at 9 a.m. on Tuesday, May 14, at The Penn Stater Hotel and Conference Center.
Agenda
| Tue, May 14, 2024 | |
| 7:30 AM - 5:00 PM | Registration Opens |
| 7:30 AM - 8:30 AM | Coffee and Networking |
| 8:30 AM - 9:00 AM | Welcome Speakers: Erica Smithwick, Bruce Logan ; Video Message: Neeli Bendapudi |
| 9:00 AM - 10:00 AM | Paul Nicklen Keynote Speaker Address |
| 10:00 AM - 10:15 AM | Networking Break |
| 10:15 AM - 11:45 AM | Carbon Management Chair: John Wang ; Speakers: Kathy Bandych, Martin Ma, Terry Kreuz, Jon Benesch |
| 10:15 AM - 11:45 AM | Climate Change, Demography, and Population Health Chair: Brian Thiede, Asher Rosinger ; Speakers: Kristina Brant, Mook Bangalore, Manzhu Yu |
| 10:15 AM - 11:45 AM | Climate Change on a Microscopic Level Chair: Jill Felker ; Speakers: Lisa Emili, Tami Mysliwiec, Shirley Clark |
| 11:45 AM - 12:45 PM | Lunch |
| 12:45 PM - 2:15 PM | Adaptation of Civil Infrastructure to Climate Change Related Flooding Chair: Gordon Warn ; Speakers: Gabe Lara, Rashid Ansari, Ashmita Bhattacharya, Katherine Zipp |
| 12:45 PM - 2:15 PM | Empowering Low Carbon Behavioral Choices Through Knowledge, Hope, and Stories Chair: Janet Swim ; Speakers: Bruce Logan, Shahzeen Attari, Jessica Myrick |
| 12:45 PM - 2:15 PM | Mineral Dusts and Lung Diseases: Sources, Impact, and Mitigation Chair: Sekhar Bhattacharyya ; Speakers: Barbara Arnold, Pedram Roghanchi, Rui Zhang |
| 2:15 PM - 2:30 PM | Networking Break |
| 2:30 PM - 4:00 PM | Harnessing the Potential of Forests as Nature-Based Solutions Through Climate-Smart Forestry Chair: Margarita Fernandez ; Speakers: Neil Pederson, Patricia Leopold, Melissa Kreye, Chad Papa, Kendall DeLyser |
| 2:30 PM - 4:00 PM | The Original Arctic Climate Scientists: Inuit Knowledge Chair: Hester Blum ; Speakers: Mia Otokiak, Gibson Porter |
| 2:30 PM - 4:00 PM | Climate Action at Penn State Speakers: Lara Fowler, Meghan Hoskins, Peter Buck, Deep Chakraborty, Jacob Seiler, Ayodeji Oliwalana, Cecily Zhu |
| 4:00 PM - 6:00 PM | Reception–Networking Happy Hour and Poster Session |
| Wed, May 15, 2024 | |
| 7:30 AM - 12:00 PM | Registration Opens |
| 7:30 AM - 8:00 AM | Coffee and Networking |
| 8:00 AM - 8:45 AM | Welcome Speakers: Erica Smithwick, David Hughes |
| 8:45 AM - 9:45 AM | Climate Entrepreneurship: Opportunities and Challenges in Translating Research into Action Speakers: Stephan Levitsky, Eric Sauder, Joshua Phan-Gruber, Jamin Nieri ; Organizer: Jacqueline O'Connor ; Moderator: Suvrat Dhanorkar |
| 9:45 AM - 10:00 AM | Networking Break |
| 10:00 AM - 11:30 AM | Youth and Student-Centered Storytelling & Research for Intergenerational Climate Justice Chair: Mark Ortiz ; Speakers: Pramisha Thapaliya, Olga Skaredina, Neeshad Shafi, Rawe Kefi, Iris Zhan |
| 10:00 AM - 11:30 AM | Opportunities to Reduce N2O Emissions from Agricultural Land Chair: Heather Karsten ; Speakers: Charlie White, Alan Rotz, Armen Kemanian, Sue Ellen Johnson |
| 10:00 AM - 11:30 AM | Harnessing the Sun: Considerations for Agricultural Landscape Transitions to Solar Chair: Joseph Conklin, Kaitlyn Spangler ; Speakers: Tom Beresnyak, Stephanie Buechler, Lauren McPhillips, Daniel Brockett, Russell Hedberg, Alexis Pascaris, Karen Lopez-Olmedo |
| 11:30 AM - 12:30 PM | Lunch |
| 12:30 PM - 1:15 PM | Fireside Chat: Climate Consortium Speakers: Andrew Read, Erica Smithwick, Lee Kump |
| 1:15 PM - 1:30 PM | Networking Break |
| 1:30 PM - 3:00 PM | Supporting Traditional Floating Communities as a Climate Change Solution Chair: Leann Andrews ; Speaker: Rebecca Bachman |
| 1:30 PM - 3:00 PM | Built Environment and Energy Justice for Disadvantaged Communities Chair: Wangda Zuo ; Speakers: Lisa Iulo, Rahman Azari, Jiazhen Ling |
| 1:30 PM - 3:00 PM | Engaging Research Labs towards Penn State’s Carbon Neutrality Goal |
| 3:00 PM - 3:15 PM | Networking Break |
| 3:15 PM - 4:45 PM | Pennsylvania Building Performance Standards – Leading by Example to Reduce Climate Impact Chair: Michael Conchilla ; Speakers: Matthew Reis, Mark Hand, Devin Pennebaker |
| 3:15 PM - 4:45 PM | Adventures in Community-Engaged Climate Research Chair: Virginia Silvis ; Speakers: Lisa Iulo, Paulette Blanchard, Kristina Brant, Brandi Robinson |
| 3:15 PM - 4:45 PM | The CARAT Project: Partnerships for Climate Smart Commodities in the Pennsylvania Dairy Industry Chair: Matt Royer ; Speakers: Alexander Hristov, Scott Welsh, Jayne Sebright |