
renewal [ri-noo-uhl] noun
1. starting again, especially after a pause
2. the process of improving, bringing about freshness and vigor
3. the act of continuing, such as an official agreement or commitment
The Institute on the Environment Annual Meeting is a place to celebrate the IonE community –
affiliates, students, staff, collaborators, and friends – and refresh and reignite our commitments to
interdisciplinary, evidence-based climate solutions. This fall we’ll gather to start new relationships or reconnect
with one another to propel IonE’s mission – a future where people and planet prosper together – to its next phase.
Friday, September 29, 2023
10:00 AM – 4:15 PM, CDT
with optional reception from 4:15–5:00 PM
St. Paul Student Center (SPSC)
University of Minnesota Twin Cities
Registration is open until Sept 26 at noon (CDT).
IonE community members can access
within the September 20th email invitation.
Questions about the IonE Annual Meeting?
Reach out to ioneannualevent@umn.edu.
Agenda
Mainstage Event
The opening program will center our theme of renewal and community featuring:
Piano Performance by Ann DuHamel, Associate Professor of Music, UMN Morris and IonE Fellow
Towards Hope: Two Reflections on the Climate Crisis, by Zach Gulaboff Davis, occupies a space between programmatic and absolute musical dialogue. Charting a narrative from dark-to-light, the contrasting movements invite the listener to contemplate the dire crisis ravaging our planet. The first movement, On Darkness, evokes the somber urgency of immediate action. A ray of hope ushers in the second movement, On Light, hinting that through darkness and perseverance, light can emerge. It is the composer’s wish that these interludes serve as a vessel for meaningful reflection, frosting a renewed sense of hope, purpose, and action.
DuHamel has performed in 18 countries and 37 states, including concerts at Sala Verdi in Milan, Italy; Carnegie Weill Recital Hall in New York; and Trinity College in Oxford, England. In May of 2023, Ann was awarded a 2023-24 McKnight Artist Fellowship for Musicians.
Ann’s project “Prayers for a Feverish Planet” responds to the climate crisis with 60 new works for piano. She’s been awarded artist residencies at Tofte Lake Center (MN), Everwood Farmstead Foundation (WI), and Porto Piano Fest (Portugal) for this project, which has received extensive support from the University of Minnesota (Institute for Advanced Study Residential Fellow, Fall 2021; Imagine Fund Special Events Grant; and Grant-In-Aid of Research, Artistry, and Scholarship). She’s been interviewed about the project on Modern Notebook Radio (WSMR) and Minnesota Public Radio’s All Things Considered with Tom Crann, and has performed portions of the project more than 50 times, including as a featured PEDx speaker at the 2023 National Conference of Keyboard Pedagogy in Chicago.
Keynote Speech by Rev. Dr. Alika Galloway, Liberty Community Church
“My ongoing work is in the identification and healing of trauma and internalized racism through an interdisciplinary and intersectional lens. I am passionate about planetary health and co-creating a future where the earth is honored as a beloved and revered manifestation of Creators love.”
Pastor Alika is one of the creative visionaries for a community gathering entitled: Healing the Planet – Healing Ourselves where the community joined in conversation about the interrelatedness of healing and the vital importance of healing the earth so that all creation may be healed! An Eco-Womanist Alika is also Co Pastor of Liberty Community Church PCUSA. She holds a Master of Divinity from the Interdenominational Theological Center in Womanist Ethics and World Religions.
Dr. Galloway is the Editor of the book: Living Waters, Living Stories. A Bush Fellow, Alika serves as the CEO of the Northside Healing Space; a safe place to rest, remember, revive, and resist dehumanization. NHS has its roots in co-creating safe and restorative places for persons engaged in the survival sex trade to heal and recover as well as the community to heal from racialized trauma: she is also the creative founder of the 21st Century Academy, an Out of School Time initiative to assist K-12 grade children to bridge the opportunity gap and dream of a future of wholeness and abundance. Nationally known as a Womanist Scholar and expert in health disparities affecting African American females, she received a Doctorate from Virginia Union University, her dissertation addressed the care and healing of African American persons who identify as female who are victims of sexual violence and the commercial sex trade.
Opportunities throughout the day
Thoughtful touches were created in the day’s activities to bring the community together through topical connections, collective art and more. Opportunities include:
- Participate in a collective art with other IonE community members.
In the Ballroom from 12 – 2 p.m., Mosaic on a Stick, a local small business dedicated to bringing art to the community, will be onsite as IonE creates artwork together in the shape of Minnesota. - Over lunch join a table on one of these 10 topics – or suggest your own day of:
- Clean Energy
- Climate Adaptation Community Engagement
- Sustainability Education
- Environmental Justice
- Food Systems & Agriculture
- Art / Humanities Engagement with Science
- Personal Science Communication
- Public Science Communication
- Water
- Need a quiet place to retreat during the afternoon?
Check out the Renewal Room (110, level one), where you’ll discover a calming and relaxing space with ambient lighting and various lounge options. - During all afternoon sessions, the main Ballroom will be open for attendee use.
Afternoon Sessions – Which path will you choose?
Choose from three 45-min breakout session blocks. During registration, you will indicate your initial interest in any of the following sessions currently in development. At the Annual Meeting, you can select what’s best for you!
Advancing UMN Climate Action via Research and Teaching
By coupling the climate goals on UMN campuses with research and teaching, knowledge gaps can be identified, explored, and addressed while building a living laboratory that enriches student and faculty experience. This session will workshop ways to create collaborations and funding opportunities to further the next steps in climate action on campus.
Impact Goals, Lessons Learned, Opportunities Ahead
Engage with grantees and others in the IonE community to discuss lessons learned and opportunities ahead for Impact Goals grants. Panelists will share their experiences applying research in community settings, building strong community partnerships, communicating research to a non-academic audience, and more.
IonE Community Member Talks – 3 separate sessions
Learn about what new and current IonE community members are working on or thinking about in short 5 min presentations. The full list and descriptions of this year’s IonE Community Member Talks will be released at least one week before the event.
Open Mic Session
This casual session focuses on building stronger connections through the joy of knowing more about each other and our work. Everyone is invited to share in the form of a story, skit, video, song, poem etc. Everyone in the space is welcome to share and you are also welcome just to listen and learn.
Pressing Problems in MN: A dialogue
This session will take advantage of the diverse group of attendees to get different perspectives on some of the most pressing sustainability problems in MN. In addition to pre-selected topics curated from stakeholders, interested session attendees looking for input will be contacted prior to the meeting to provide a discussion topic during the session.
IonE Impact Goals: Tips to develop a competitive proposal
Are you considering applying for an IonE Impact Goals grant? Join us to learn the nuts and bolts of what makes a solid proposal. We’ll explore what kinds of projects are a good match for the RFP, cover proposal process basics, and offer tips for interdisciplinary and community-engaged proposals.
This session is open to everyone, and targeted for people who are looking to apply to the 2024 RFP, which is expected to open for applications in January 2024.
Workshopping Project Ideas: Crafting compelling Impact Goals projects
We know you have compelling ideas that will drive progress on complex sustainability challenges! This facilitated working session will provide space to generate and build out novel, innovative project ideas, to strengthen strategies for social impact, and to make generative connections with other disciplines.
This session is open to everyone, and targeted for people who are in project ideation stages.
Who’s Participating?
This list reflects in-person registrations to attend the IonE Annual Meeting on Friday, September 29. Watch for updates every Monday until registration closes based on participant approval.
- Aaron Hanson, IonE Staff
- Alan Holt, IonE External Advisory Board Member
- Alex Bajcz, IonE Associate
- Alika Galloway, IonE External Advisory Board Member & Speaker
- Amanda Kohn, UMN Partner
- Amber Cameron, UMN Partner
- Amy Waananen, IonE Postdoc
- Amy Kinsley, IonE Associate and IonE Grantee
- An Garagiola, IonE Associate
- Andi Sutton, UMN Partner
- Andy Wickert, IonE Associate
- Anna Henderson, IonE Fellow
- Anna Cates, IonE Associate
- Annabella Lau, IonE Student Staff
- Anne Dybsetter, UMN Partner and Planning Board Member
- Apoorva Joshi, IonE Staff
- April Snyder, IonE Staff
- Ashley Peters, IonE Staff
- Aurup Ratan Dhar, IonE Postdoc (virtual)
- Barry Greenwald, IonE Guest
- Bekah Schulz, IonE Student
- Benjamin Toff, IonE Grantee
- Beth Mercer-Taylor, IonE Grantee and IonE Staff
- Brett McDonnell, IonE Associate
- Cara Santelli, IonE Associate
- Cari Dwyer, IonE Grantee
- Cathy Jordan, IonE Fellow and IonE Staff
- Chip Small, IonE Fellow
- Chris “CW” Johnson, IonE Fellow
- Christian Lenhart, IonE Fellow
- Christina Lundgren, IonE Staff
- Christine Baeumler, IonE Fellow
- Clement Loo, IonE Educator, IonE Grantee, and Faculty Leadership Council member
- Colleen Miller, IonE Postdoc
- Colin Agur, IonE Fellow
- Crystal Ng, IonE Faculty Leadership Council and Fellow
- Dan Keefe, IonE Fellow
- Dan Larkin, IonE Fellow
- Dan Nolan, IonE Educator (virtual)
- Dana Hernandez, IonE Staff
- Dan Philippon, IonE Fellow
- Daniel Scholten, IonE Visiting Scholar
- Daniel Forbes, IonE Fellow (virtual)
- Daniel Handeen, IonE Grantee
- Dee Lobo, IonE MW CASC Postdoc
- Deepak Ray, IonE Fellow and Staff
- Elissa Welch, IonE Staff
- Elizabeth Abraham, IonE Postdoc
- Elizabeth Borer, IonE Fellow and Faculty Leadership Council member
- Elizabeth Boileau, IonE Associate
- Emilie Snell-Rood, IonE Fellow and IonE Grantee
- Emily Kreiter, IonE Fellow
- Erik Brown, IonE Fellow
- Fernando Burga, Guest
- Forest Isbell, IonE Fellow
- Fred Rose, IonE Staff and Planning Board Member
- Hessam Mirgolbabaei, IonE Fellow
- Imani Mosher, IonE Grantee
- Ingrid Schneider, IonE Grantee
- Jacob Harris, UMN Partner
- Jacques Finlay, IonE Fellow
- James Forester, IonE Fellow
- Jaris Emmanuel Veneros Guevara, IonE Postdoc (virtual)
- Jennifer Schmitt, IonE Fellow, IonE Grantee, and IonE Staff
- Jennifer Frisch, IonE Fellow
- Jessica Gutknecht, IonE Fellow
- Jessica Del Fiacco, IonE Staff
- Jinny Alexander, IonE-UMD Staff
- Joanne Slavin, IonE Grantee
- Jonee Luisa, IonE Fellow
- Jonna Korpi, IonE Grantee and UMN Partner
- Joseph Bauerkemper, IonE Associate (virtual)
- Judy Yang, IonE Associate
- Julie Etterson, IonE Fellow
- Karen Brown, UMN Partner
- Karen Donohue, IonE Fellow
- Karthik Natarajan, IonE Fellow
- Jay Coggins, IonE Fellow
- Jon Knott, IonE Associate
- Kate Nelson, UMN Partner
- Kate Nyquist, IonE Staff and Planning Board Member
- Katelyn Kolyer, IonE Student Staff
- Katey Pelican, IonE Associate and UMN Partner
- Kathryn Haglin, IonE Associate
- Kathy Draeger, IonE Fellow and Faculty Leadership Council member
- Kim Todd, IonE Fellow
- Kimberly Hill, IonE Fellow
- Kimberly Long, IonE Staff
- Kirsten Fischer, IonE Fellow
- Kobe Knettel, IonE Student Staff
- Kyle Nelson, Guest
- Kyle Samejima, IonE Grantee
- Laurie Fink, IonE Fellow
- Laurie Moberg, IonE Associate
- Lindsey Kemmerling, IonE Grantee
- Lingling Liu, IonE Staff
- Luisa Santos Nothaft, IonE Student Staff
- Lucas Granholm, IonE Associate
- Madisen Gittlin, IonE Staff and Student
- Maggie McKenna, IonE Staff and Planning Board Member
- Marin Byrne, IonE Staff and Planning Board Member
- Martha Weitekamp, Guest
- Mary Hannemann, IonE Staff
- Matthew Gabb, IonE Staff and Guest
- Meggan Craft, IonE Fellow
- Melissa Kenney, IonE Fellow and Staff
- Michael Wilson, IonE Fellow
- Michelle Garvey, IonE Educator
- Mike Dockry, IonE Fellow and MW CASC member
- Nat Springer, IonE Associate and Staff
- Noah Greensweig, IonE Staff
- Pat Nunnally, IonE Fellow
- Patrick Hancock, IonE Postdoc
- Paul Gleason, UMN Partner
- Priscilla Bunday, IonE Student
- Rachel Olson, IonE Associate (virtual)
- Richard Graves, IonE Fellow
- Rylie Pelton, IonE Associate and IonE Staff
- Sajani Kandel, IonE Fellow
- Samuel Reed, IonE Postdoc
- Sayan Biswas, IonE Fellow
- Seth Thompson, IonE Grantee
- Shane Stennes, IonE Fellow
- Sharon Pfeifer, IonE Visiting Scholar
- Shawn Ramberg, IonE Staff
- Sheila Sweeney & John Rains, IonE Supporter
- Shubhechchha Sharma, IonE Postdoc
- Stephanie Sparrow UMN Partner, Librarian for IonE
- Steve Kelley, IonE Fellow and UMN Partner
- Suki Mozenter, IonE Associate
- Sutirtha Lahiri, IonE Graduate Leader
- Teddie Potter, IonE Fellow
- Thi Nguyen, IonE Staff
- Tim Smith, IonE Fellow
- Tom Fisher, IonE Fellow
- Vipin Kumar, IonE Fellow (virtual)
- Wenqing Zhang, IonE Fellow
- Will Lockhart, IonE Postdoc
- Xinyi Qian, IonE Associate
- Yuan (Daniel) Cheng, IonE Associate
- Yuxin Miao, IonE Fellow
In-Person Gathering
We’ve heard from our affiliate network and broader IonE community that you are eager to return to meaningful in-person gatherings. For this reason, we are designing this year’s Annual Meeting as an opportunity to come together once again
to build connections and experience the richness of face-to-face interactions. We hope you can join us in person, however, mainstage remarks will be livestreamed and recorded for viewing at a later time.
Covid-19 Precautions
While masks are not required in University of Minnesota facilities, everyone is welcome to wear a mask if they choose. The University and IonE expect everyone to be respectful of others’ choices to wear or not wear a mask.
Thank you to our 2023 Planning Board Members –
Anne Dybsetter, Fred Rose, Kate Nyquist, Kimberly Long, Maggie McKenna, Meg Earnest, Marin Byrne, Shawn Ramberg!