The first six months of the current administration have seen an escalation in the number of attacks on science, public health, and democratic institutions. Actions have ranged from censorship and suppression of scientific information to the rolling back of important environmental protections, affecting scientific integrity.
In this webinar, Darya Minovi and Dr. Kristie Ellickson of the Union of Concerned Scientists discussed findings from their recent report documenting how attacks on science have undermined the work of scientists across the country, and how this affects public health. Dr. Rashmi Joglekar of UCSF's Program on Reproductive Health and Environment moderated the conversation.
This webinar is one of a series of conversations related to on-going changes at the federal level. These conversations will include a variety of opinions and perspectives.
Featured Speakers
Darya Minovi, MPH, is a senior analyst for the Center for Science and Democracy. In her role, she researches the impact of weak environmental and public health protections on communities to support environmental justice and science-based policymaking. Before joining UCS, Ms. Minovi worked as a senior policy analyst at the Center for Progressive Reform, where she researched water pollution and chemical disaster issues and advocated for stronger policies at the state and federal levels. She has also worked on food policy at the Center for Science in the Public Interest and international rainforest conservation. Ms. Minovi earned an MPH in environmental health from Harvard University and a BS in public health and environmental policy from the College of William & Mary. She has been quoted in Grist and Salon and has authored op-eds published in the Baltimore Sun and on CNN.com.
Kristie Ellickson, PhD is a Kendall Fellow at the Center for Science and Democracy at the Union of Concerned Scientists. Her research focuses on the integration of the elements of cumulative risk and impacts into regulatory analyses and decision making. In her role, Dr. Ellickson builds on past cumulative impacts work from her experience as a state scientist in Minnesota.Prior to joining UCS, while working in air toxics for the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, she co-developed a statewide cumulative air pollution risk model, MNRISKS, combing these results with socioeconomic data to investigate disproportionate impacts. Dr. Ellickson also reviewed air toxics dispersion modeling for permitted facilities and led a cross-media team instituted to prevent pollution from crossing from one environmental medium to another in ways that are uncontrolled and unmanaged. Dr. Ellickson is an interdisciplinary scientist and earned a PhD in exposure science from Rutgers University’s Environmental and Occupational Health Science Institute, and a BA in chemistry from Hamline University in St. Paul, MN.
Rashmi Joglekar, PhD, leads the Science, Policy & Engagement team at PRHE. She comes with a wealth of knowledge and understanding of how toxic chemicals impact susceptible populations and communities and is skilled in addressing these issues with decision-makers in Washington, DC. Rashmi completed her PhD in the Integrated Toxicology and Environmental Health Program at Duke University, specializing in neurodevelopmental toxicology. Previously, she was a staff scientist at Earthjustice, where she partnered with lawyers and community leaders working on behalf of impacted communities to build the strongest scientific case for federal agencies to protect communities from harmful chemical exposures.