MESA Talks 2020 - Climate & Environmental Justice

Nichole Berg is the Climate Change and Climate Justice Programs Manager in Portland Public Schools. In this role, she is responsible for coordinating the development of a K-12 climate literacy curriculum that embeds units of study into science and social studies at each grade level, including the creation of a transdisciplinary high school elective course, as well as developing and sustaining a youth-led PPS Climate Justice Youth Advisory, and collaborating with district staff and community partners to promote and support sustainability efforts across PPS. A former bilingual (Spanish/English) paraprofessional, educator, new educator mentor, and assistant principal, and avid traveler, explorer, and blogger from Madison, WI, Nichole brings a range of personal and professional experiences to her new role in the Pacific Northwest.

Knowledge Murphy is a solar energy consultant, energy efficiency consultant, Master Watershed steward, content creator, and an environmental justice advocate. He is the owner & CEO of Black Man, Green Plan LLC, a consulting company & multimedia brand which focuses on spreading info about renewable energy, energy efficiency, sustainability, & most importantly, environmental justice to Black, Brown, and Yellow people, in a culturally relevant manner. He has worked on a green infrastructure project for a PA State Senator, & was the 1st Black solar panel salesman in Southwestern PA.

Melissa Haeffner, PhD, is an Assistant Professor in the Environmental Science and Management department at Portland State University. Her research unifies several research domains that contribute to the knowledge of local politics in watersheds and how they shape urban water infrastructure development in the past, in the present, and under future predictions. Her ongoing research and teaching commitments investigate water insecurity and justice within municipal water systems and the links between multi-scale policies, infrastructural and environmental conditions, and household behavior. Her work focuses on “just water” and how social, political, and biophysical factors structure access to water, using the concept of environmental justice to draw attention to issues of fairness and equality in the ways different social groups gain access to natural resources.

Dr. Haeffner received a BA/MA in Sociology from DePaul University and a Masters in Science through the Department of Urban Studies and Planning from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. She received her PhD from Colorado State University (CSU) in the Graduate Degree Program of Ecology, with a specialization in human-environment interactions.