“Between soaring food prices and public health crises, issues around health and food access are in the news almost daily. Engaging in these topics can be difficult as the issues continue to be fueled by both climate change and turbulent politics. Join Metcalf for “Equity on the Table: A Conversation about Public Health, Food Access, and Climate Change” on Thursday, October 23, to learn how you can help create a healthier and more equitable food future for yourself and your community.

“This event will feature a panel discussion with three fellows from the SciComm Identities Project (SCIP): Dr. Ambarish Karmalkar, an Assistant Professor in the Department of Geosciences at the University of Rhode Island; Dr. Roger Figueroa, Assistant Professor in Social and Behavioral Science in Nutrition in the Division of Nutritional Sciences, College of Human Ecology at Cornell University; and Dr. Christine Ekenga, a Rollins Assistant Professor of Environmental Health at the Rollins School of Public Health at Emory University. Moderated by Fara Warner, Metcalf Institute’s Executive Director, the conversation will focus on the intersection of climate change, public health and food equity, and will highlight the fellows’ research.

“Launched by the Metcalf Institute, Michigan State University’s Knight Center for Environmental Journalism, and the URI Science and Story Lab, the SCIP fellowship was a one-year professional development opportunity for pre-tenure faculty at U.S. institutions who identify as underrepresented racial or ethnic minorities in STEM. The project, supported by a $2.8 million collaborative National Science Foundation grant and co-led by URI’s Dr. Sunshine Menezes and Michigan State’s Dr. Bruno Takahashi, addressed the significant gap in science communication research and training by centering the motivations, experiences, and priorities of underrepresented scientists. The fellowship offered three cohorts that each focused on a specific subtheme: energy, water, and food.

“This free event is open to the public and will take place at the University of Rhode Island’s Kingston campus (Hope Room, Higgins Welcome Center). A reception will be held October 23 from 5 to 5:30 PM with the lecture beginning at 5:30 PM. The discussion will also be livestreamed. Registration is encouraged for in-person attendees and required to receive the livestream link.”