To Our Sustainability Community,
We hope, now more than ever, that this note finds you, your friends, and family healthy and safe. Though we know countless correspondence like this one have landed in your inbox over the past few weeks, please know that this does not dilute the sincerity of our well wishes and thanks for your continued support of our shared efforts toward a more sustainable Johns Hopkins.
Recent changes to university priorities as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and demands on our partners across the institution are reminders that we must be adaptive in our work as we move our collective efforts forward. We realize this is a unique time for all of us, and such a moment is unprecedented in our lifetimes. That being said, it is heartening to see the Hopkins community rallying together around a common cause, and it truly shines a light on our resilience in advancing the institution’s mission.
Many have reached out regarding the upcoming annual Sustainability Leadership Council Symposium and we are pleased to report that the event will be moving forward, as scheduled, on April 17th as a virtual event. Our symposium planning committee is working diligently to adapt the symposium to an entirely virtual format and we are happy to share the program and event registration details.
9:00 – 10:00 | Meanings of Sustainability “Sustainability”: A Group Exercise
A group session on the dimensions of defining "sustainability.”
10:00 – 11:00 | Provost’s Remarks & SLC Update
Remarks from Provost Sunil Kumar and an update from the Sustainability Leadership Council Co-Chairs on the achievements of the SLC in its first year.
11:00 – 12:00 | Keynote Session with Andrew Revkin
Andrew Revkin, former reporter on the environment for the New York Times and founding director of the Columbia University's Initiative on Communication and Sustainability, will speak to making information matter on a noisy, polarized but deeply observed and connected planet.
12:15 – 1:45 | Faculty & Student “TED” – Style Talks
A collection of engaging, lightening talks delivered by faculty and students addressing sustainability, in its various forms, across the university.
1:45 – 2:30 | Poster Session
A round-robin poster session featuring sustainability-focused research and initiatives across the institution.
2:30 – 2:45 | Closing Remarks
Final thoughts from Co-Chair Peter Winch following the first Annual Sustainability Leadership Council Symposium.
We highly encourage all of you to attend the Symposium in its entirety and to share your intention to participate in each of the program sessions by “purchasing” a ticket for that session. This will allow us to have an idea of our audience size. Streaming details will be circulated once they are finalized in the coming weeks.
This virtual symposium is a unique opportunity to demonstrate the feasibility of large-scale, low-impact community event through teleconferencing. In hosting a virtual gathering, we have the ability to demonstrate best practices in reducing travel-related emissions while maximizing remote engagement. This certainly is a silver lining, but nonetheless, an important one to the SLC’s mission. Please help us achieve this goal by registering for the Symposium and sharing the event information with your peers, colleagues, and students.
As always, thank you all for your continued support and actions toward fostering a culture of sustainability throughout Johns Hopkins. These are extraordinary times and our community has met them with extraordinary efforts.
Thank you all,
SLC Co-Chairs
Peter Winch and Bob McLean
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