MASCARO CENTER RECOGNITION & ENGAGEMENT

Invited Lecturers

Marcela Gonzalez Rivas, MCSIGlobalEngagementFellow

The “Closing the Water Gap” working group led by Dr. Marcela Gonzalez Rivas researches environmental justice issues related to the Biden administration’s lead line replacement program, including a forthcoming report documenting information on the program and its impact on the environmental justice in the region Closing the Water Gap is collaborating with various advocacy organizations conducting research on this issue and plans to continue the work via 2 peer-reviewed articles.

During the 2022-23 academic year, the working group was granted special accreditation by the United Nations (UN) to attend the 2023 UN Water Conference. As a result, five students attended interactive dialogues, plenary sessions, and side events at UN Headquarters, where they hosted by different organizations attending the conference. Students engaged in meaningful discussions with world leaders in the WASH sector (water, sanitation, hygiene). Students are working on a reflection piece that summarizes their conference takeaways for the Journal of Human Rights

In October 2022, Dr. Gonzalez Rivas was an invited speaker for the “Water and Public Health: Inequalities and Affordability” webinar, part of University of Michigan’s “Environment, Health and Community” series. After the seminar, she was invited to co-author a chapter on water equity on a book on environment and public health with the other panelists; the book will be published next year.

“It was especially exciting for me to be there with students and to be able to join hundreds of water justice grass roots and other organizations who have been working to advance the implementation of the human right to water across communities around the world”.

Corey Flynn, Rehab Sciences JohnC.MascaroFacultyLecturer

Corey Flynn spoke on American Dietetic Association Hunger and Environmental Nutrition Working Group (HEN) panel discussing food insecurity and sustainable food systems. She also addressed these topics on 2 podcasts: one by City Cast Pittsburgh and the other by a Nutrition Science student group

Sara Baumann, MCSIGlobalEngagementFellow

In January 2023, Dr. Sara Baumann was an invited speaker at University of Pittsburgh’s Global Brigades Student Leadership Conference; her talk was: “Women Around the World: Using Creativity to Center Community Voices in Global Health Research and Interventions.”

Invited Collaborative Talks with Covestro

MCSI’s Dr. Eric Beckman and Gena Kovalcik participated in Covestro’s Innovation Celebration, sharing insights on Pitt’s leadership in circular economy and insights on innovation.

Dr. Melissa Bilec has co-led multiple panels with Covestro leadership at the “Global Manufacturing and Industrialization Summit” and “Recycling Livestream.”

Melissa Bilec Invited Lectures

• Bilec, M.M. (2022). “From Assessment to Impact?” Keynote -International Symposium on Sustainable Systems and Technology Conference, June 21-23, 2022, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

• Invited Panelist for Circular Economy: Next generation solutions for circular industry. Global Manufacturing and Industrialization Summit (GMIS), September 28, 2022, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

• Bilec, M.M., Thiel, T. (2022). How Joint Solutions and Collaborations Can Make You Fully Circular-The Covestro Circular Economy Program at the University of Pittsburgh. ACS Sealants and Adhesives, September 2022, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

• Invited Panelist for Circularity and Climate Neutrality: Decarbonizing Products, Processes and Supply Chains. Clean Energy, Climate, and the Built Environment Workshop, Hosted by the Green Building Alliance, Covestro, LLC, UNECE, UNEP, Phipps, Global Alliance for Buildings and Construction, September 21, 2022, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

• Bilec, M.M. (2022). “Connecting SSOE and SPH Advancing Sustainability in Academics and Research at Pitt.” CHEER Mini-Symposium, April 21, 2022, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

David Sanchez Invited Lectures

• Can Smarter Watersheds Accurately Monitor Emerging Contaminants? ASCE- EWRI Pittsburgh–April 20, 2023

• Engineering Happiness, SEISMIC Conference Jan 19, 2023

• Water: A Keystone for the Environment, Economy, and Community - McCandless Township Speaker Series, November 18, 2022

• Technology, Humanity, and Environment Carnegie Mellon University – Pitt Global Studies MicroCourse November 4, 2022 (Virtual)

• Engineering for Sustainability, University Lecture, Carlow University November 1, 2022

• Approaches to Sustainability and Systems Design – Engineering's Social Impacts – LEAD Institute – June 22, 2022 (virtual)

• Place-based University Sustainability Partnerships, Newcastle University, October 19, 2022

• Analytical Techniques and Methodologies for Measuring Contaminants of Emerging Concern, Civil Engineering, Unisinos University, Sao Leopoldo, Rio Grande de Sul, Brazil August 22, 2022

• Summer Institute for Global Educators - University Center for International Studies July 19, 2022