CREST participated in the inaugural 2023 City University of New York (CUNY) Climate Consortium (C3) TownHall and Expo held on November 13, 2023 at the CUNY Graduate Center, New York. CREST leadership including Dr. Shakila Merchant, staff, affiliates, and students attended the event. Other CREST faculty members who actively participated in this event included Drs. Reggie Blake, Neal Philip, Prathap Ramamurthy, Hamidreza Nourouzi, Cheila Cullen, and Joyce Freeling.

The event aimed to bring together the CUNY community to discuss ways to address climate change and resilience as well as share helpful resources to lead the initiative. CREST has been an active member of the consortium since the inception of its planning in Summer 2023.  

The day began with opening remarks from Parisa Setayesh, Coordinator of the C3 Initiative and Dr. Effie MacLachlan, Director of Grants & Research Programs, CUNY. It was followed by a town hall panel and Q&A session. The panel included Dr. Reginald Blake, Community Outreach and Stakeholder Engagement Pillar’s Co-Associate Director, CUNY CREST; Dr. William Solecki, Professor, CUNY Graduate Center; Dr. Brett Branco, Associate Professor, Brooklyn College, CUNY; Dr. Deborah Balk, Director, CUNY Institute for Demographic Research; Dr. Melissa Checker, Professor, CUNY Graduate Center; Kendra Sullivan, Director, Center for the Humanities, CUNY Graduate Center; and Kendra Kruger, STEM Outreach and Education Manager, CUNY’s Advanced Science Research Center (ASRC). The panel discussed several topics related to climate change.

The town hall and panel was followed by the expo where participants gained the opportunity to visit booths showcasing the work that the CUNY climate community organizations, programs, and researchers have been conducting. Through a poster, CREST displayed its research capabilities, opportunities, and affiliates. 

CREST students with CREST’s Community Outreach & Stakeholder Engagement Pillar Director, Dr. Joyce Freeling 

The day ended with networking and breakout sessions where attendees discussed collaborative and innovative ideas as well as connected with others. Some of the topics that were particularly discussed during the breakout sessions included: 

  • Climate Education and Pedagogy
  • Climate Justice
  • Climate Modeling 
  • Climate Change Communication and Outreach
  • Climate Hazards
  • Nature Based Solutions
  • Carbon Removal
  • AI Application in Climate Science
  • Student Corner
  • Working with Communities

The event was engaging and productive.