Community Dinner: Nourishing Conversations for our Shared Climate Future
Tuesday, November 7, 6:30-8:30 pm
Join speakers from energy finance, renewable energy development and community organizing for a panel and dinner discussion at the Sarah P. Duke Gardens to explore how individuals and organizations can tackle the nuances of a just energy transition to create a better world for us all. Dinner will be served. Open to all.
About the Event
Are you interested in how individuals and organizations can have an impact in advancing and tackling the nuances of a just energy transition?
Duke University students, faculty, and members of the Durham community are welcome to join us for a dinner and discussion exploring the nexus of clean energy deployment and environmental justice and our own roles in making it happen.
This special event will begin with a panel discussion including activists, scholars, and business professionals with expertise in diverse fields – from energy justice to finance to project development – to set the tone for the evening and provide attendees with some “food for thought.” Then, participants will enjoy a seated dinner where they will engage in discussions about how we can advance a clean energy transition that benefits all people.
This event is limited-capacity and in person only. Please register only if you can firmly commit to attending. If your plans change, please cancel your registration to allow others on the waitlist to attend.
This event is part of the eighth annual Energy Week at Duke (Nov. 6-10), organized by dozens of students from degree programs across Duke.
Featured Panelists:
Angella Dunston is the network engagement manager for the NC Rural Center’s Leadership and Engagement Team and a board member of NC League of Conservation Voters, Warren County Environmental Action Team, and Clean Water for North Carolina. She began her journey as a social justice advocate and environmental steward during the birth of the Environmental Justice Movement in Warren County.
Jen Weiss (MEM ‘12) is the founder and co-director of the North Carolina Clean Energy Fund, a non-profit green bank that utilizes public and private capital to catalyze investments in clean and efficient energy and transportation projects in the state with a focus on traditionally underserved communities. She was most recently the senior advisor for climate change policy at the North Carolina Department of Transportation. Prior to that role, she worked as the Senior Policy Associate for Climate and Energy Program at the Nicholas Institute at Duke University.
Tyler Norris is a Ph.D student at Duke University’s Nicholas School of the Environment, where his research focuses on electric power systems. Most recently, he served as vice-president of development at Cypress Creek Renewables, a leading US independent renewable power producer. Previously, he served as a director at S&P Global Platts, an international energy consultancy. He currently serves as chair of the board of the NC Clean Energy Fund.
Jackson Ewing is director of energy and climate policy at the Nicholas Institute of Energy, Environment & Sustainability at Duke University. He is also an adjunct associate professor at the Nicholas School of the Environment and a faculty affiliate with the Duke Center for International Development at the Sanford School of Public Policy. He works closely with the Duke Kunshan University Environmental Research Center to build policy research collaboration across Duke platforms in the United States and China. Ewing publishes widely through a range of mediums and is a regular contributor to radio, television and print media. He holds a doctorate in environmental security and master's degree in international relations from Australia’s Bond University, and a bachelor’s degree in political science from the College of Charleston.
