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The UMass Amherst Cornerstone Initiative will host “Interdisciplinary Conversations on Climate, Tech & the Humanities,” a panel discussion with university faculty members and alumni, as well as tech, government and nonprofit leaders, on Friday, April 25 from 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., in Campus Center Rooms 904-908.

The collaborative panel will explore how critical thinking and narrative leadership can drive climate solutions and shape purposeful careers. A Q&A session will follow. 

Light refreshments and lunch will be served after the event, which is free and open to the public.

Panelists will include:

• Scott Fulton, president emeritus of the Environmental Law Institute and an Isenberg School of Management alumnus, who has many years of leadership experience at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Justice.
• Roisin Kirby, a UMass Amherst graduate student who is helping lead the new Climate Literacy Program a student-driven initiative to embed climate education across disciplines.
• Sasha Koo-Oshima, deputy director of the Land and Water Division at the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations who leads global initiatives on agricultural water development.
• Sam Robinson, founder of Field Form, a NYC-based landscape design firm focused on urban flood resilience and green infrastructure.
• Malcolm Sen, associate professor of English at UMass Amherst and director of the Environmental Humanities Specialization, who focuses on questions of justice, statecraft and postcolonial politics as they emerge in this contemporary moment of climate crisis.
• Nick Nyhan, Cornerstone Advisory Board member, alumnus of the UMass Amherst Department of English and founder of The City Sponge, who works at the intersection of civic data, climate adaptation and media.

“UMass Amherst students, no matter their major, are always looking for ways to apply what they learn to real-world challenges and opportunities, both during and after their time on campus,” Nyhan said. “Two of the most urgent forces shaping this moment are the accelerating effects of climate change and the rapid evolution of AI technology. This event invites students to think across disciplines and step into those big conversations.”

The event is hosted by the UMass Cornerstone Initiative and supported by a grant from the Community, Democracy, and Dialogue (CDD) initiative at UMass Amherst.

More information is available at umasscornerstone.org.