Summit Program (PDF)
8:00 AM-9:00 AM – Registration
9:00 AM-9:30 AM – Welcome
Oscar Dubon, Vice Chancellor of Equity and Inclusion, University of California Berkeley
David Ackerly, Dean, College of Natural Resources, University of California Berkeley
Lupe Gallegos-Diaz, MSW, Director Chicanx Latinx Student Development and Community Affairs, University of California, Berkeley
Federico Castillo, PhD, Researcher, Environmental Science, Policy & Management, University of California, Berkeley
9:30 AM-10:30 AM – Panel: Climate Change: Towards the Future
Kristen Torres Pawling, Sustainability Program Director, Los Angeles County Chief Sustainability Office
Valeri Vasquez, University of California Berkeley
Martha Camacho Rodriguez, Director, CA Central Basin Municipal Water District Division 1 Board of Directors
Federico Castillo, PhD, Researcher, Environmental Science, Policy & Management, University of California, Berkeley
Latinxs are disproportionately vulnerable to climate related threats due to where they reside, their occupations, and the financial challenges they may face. More than 60 percent of U.S. Latinxs live in California, Florida, Texas, and New York, where severe heat, air pollution, and flooding pose even greater risks compared to other states. In the last few years, Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and María hit Latinx communities especially hard and some communities are still coping with the effects today. Latinx communities in the Central and Imperial Valleys experience chronic water shortages and the negative impact of deficient water quality
on a regular basis. Latinxs are overwhelmingly united in favor of taking action on climate, therefore we have the perfect opportunity to propel forward with solutions that are equitable and benefit not only the Latinx community but also society in general. This panel will discuss the impacts and opportunities that Latinx communities must make in order to address issues elated to climate change mitigation and adaptation.
Workshop: Leveraging Power
10:30 AM-10:40 AM – Break
10:40 AM-11:40 AM – Panel: Urban and Rural Planning: Re-imagining the Blueprint for the Future
Daniel Rodriguez, PhD. Professor of City and Regional Planning, UC Berkeley
Erika Uribe, Founder and Creative Director, incommon llc
Emilio Cruz, Director Strategic Pursuits, Carollo Engineers
Moderator: Guillermo Rodriguez, State Director, The Trust for Public Land
Latinos are increasingly relocating to and living in larger urban areas. With this trend comes a need to ensure our cities are healthy, people friendly and equitable places to live. From air quality challenges to transportation, and a lack of access to open space, cities need to adapt to improve Latinx quality of life. This panel will address how those conditions impact the Latinx community and what are actions that could help to mitigate the impact of those conditions. In addition, the panel will discuss the gentrification of established urban Latinx communities.
Workshop: Graduate School
Aidee Guzman, University of California, Berkeley
Arturo Fernandez,University of California, Berkeley
11:50 AM-1:00 PM Keynote Speaker
Ana Alvarez
Deputy General Manager of the East Bay Regional Parks District
1:00 PM-2:00 PM – Lunch, Poster Session, and Career Fair
2:00 PM-3:15 PM – Panel: Environmental Justice
Yana Garcia, Assistant Secretary of Environmental Justice and Tribal Affairs CalEPA
Alvaro Sanchez, Environmental Equity Director, the Greenlining Institute
Deniss Martinez, Deniss Martinez, University of California Davis
Moderator: Adrianna Quintero, Director of Strategic Partnerships, Energy Foundation
This panel aims to build an understanding of environmental justice in terms of class, race, socioeconomic status and how those identity markers relate to the occupation, usage and pollution of land, water, and air. The panel will question the systemic and currently pressing issues that have historically marginalized and oppressed low-income communities, in which in turn elevated risk of experiencing environmental hazards (i.e., food insecurity, pervasive contamination, and waterborne and air borne illnesses). Panelists will discuss the reach of Latinx communities presently engaging in the environmental justice movement as it intersects issues of environmental sustainability and social justice
3:15 PM-3:25 PM – Break
3:25 PM-4:40 PM: Panel 4: Health and the Environment
Xavier Morales, PhD., MRP, Executive Director, The Praxis Project
Ana María Mora, Assistant Researcher at the Center for Environmental Research and Children’s Health (CERCH), UC Berkeley School of Public Health
David Gonzalez, Ph.D. Student in Environment and Resources
Frosh Scholars Program Coordinator, Dean for Community Engagement and Diversity
Evaluating the health status and needs of the Latinx community is crucial in order to develop health policies and implement programs to address social determinants of health, health services, risk factors, and health disparities, as these factors shape the principal causes of morbidity and mortality. Cancer is the primary cause of mortality amongst Latinos, followed by cardiovascular diseases and unintentional injuries. And although the Affordable Care Act has
improved access to care, other limitations in healthcare exist, such as a shortage of Latinx health care providers, a lack Latinx focused health programs, poor health literacy, limited cultural sensitivity and uninsured/underinsured status. This panel will explore current actions and policies that address preventable chronic diseases and conditions, particularly those related and resulting from environmental factors. The panel will also discuss policies that could bring about improvements in health outcomes resulting from changes in environmental conditions.