Thursday, July 29 at 10:45 AM

Sustainability is the balance of equity, environment, and economics so current and future generations can thrive. To build just and sustainable communities in our region current systemic, cross-generational, and sector-specific environmental issues to be addressed. Across the U.S. and in Pittsburgh, systemic and institutional racism is evident in the environmental injustices faced daily by BIPOC communities

This session will start with a land acknowledgement recognizing and respecting Native Nations as traditional stewards of this land. The panel will address how historically oppressive systems resulted in social and environmental injustices that perpetuate today in Pittsburgh, especially affecting BIPOC communities. Topics of pollution, air quality, land ownership, energy sources, poverty, and the lack of representation in the environmental sector will be discussed by the following panel from their various perspectives, experiences, and research.

Alyssa Lyon (Moderator)

Alyssa Lyon is the Director of the Black Environmental Collective at UrbanKind. Originally from The Bronx, New York, Alyssa is passionate about ensuring people – especially Black people – that they have the power to drive change and rewrite the narrative. Alyssa believes that everything you do makes a difference and is guided by this belief in her work. Alyssa’s past professional experience as Sustainable Communities Director at Green Building Alliance helped her recognize the importance and necessity of amplifying marginalized voices in the sustainability sector — and that environmental justice is a civil rights issue. Alyssa is a board member of Rebuilding Together Pittsburgh, Vice Chair for Invest PGH at the Urban Redevelopment Authority. She also worked at and Pittsburgh Community Reinvestment Group. Alyssa holds a Masters of Public Management from Carnegie Mellon University and a Bachelor’s in Communications and Africana Studies from the University of Pittsburgh.

Ariam Ford

Executive Director of Grounded, Ariam Ford is a City Planner by trade and self-driven by choice. She is deeply passionate about equitable development, community planning, and land-use policy. Her professional work has focused on community-led land use interventions, resident empowerment, civic education programs, geospatial statistics, and GIS mapping. Ariam holds a Master of City Planning from Boston University and a Bachelor of Arts in History from the University of Virginia. An active resident of the Overbrook neighborhood of Pittsburgh, Ariam serves on the board of the Watersheds of South Pittsburgh. Most recently, Ariam was honored to join the board or Propel Schools.

Dr. Melissa Bilec

Dr. Melissa Bilec is an Associate Professor in the Swanson School of Engineering’s Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Deputy Director of the Mascaro Center for Sustainable Innovation. Her research focuses on the sustainable built environment. She explores system-level environmental performance of buildings, while developing a deeper understanding of environmental impacts, energy use, and indoor air quality. Dr. Bilec is committed to diversity, inclusion, and equity. She serves on the Engineering Diversity Advisory Committee and NSF Pitt STRIVE Leadership team, along with being co-faculty advisor for Pitt Society for Women Engineering. Dr. Bilec is committed to diversity, inclusion, and equity. She serves on the Engineering Diversity Advisory Committee and NSF Pitt STRIVE Leadership team, along with being co-faculty advisor for Pitt S ociety for Women Engineering.

Dr. Kylie Seltzer

Kylie Seltzer is a researcher, educator, digital enthusiast, and community builder whose work focuses on dismantling white supremacy and creating a more equitable world. Her scholarly work analyzes the intersection of race theory and architecture in the built environment, and she received her PhD from the University of Pittsburgh in 2020. Her innovative doctoral research was recognized through the Graham Foundation’s prestigious Carter Manny Dissertation award as well as a predoctoral fellowship from the Council for European Studies. Now, she works as the Research Strategist at Common Cause Consultants where she uses her expertise to address the urgent inequalities that plague Pittsburgh residents. 

Sydney DuBose

Sydney DuBose is a student from the University of Pittsburgh who will graduate in December 2021 with a major in Environmental Science, a minor in Theatre, and certificates in GIS and Sustainability. She was named as one of the 2021 Pitt Sustainability Champions for her work in making Pitt Residence Life more sustainable by collaborating with the EcoReps , the student sustainability ambassadors for Pitt residence halls. She and the EcoReps were able to create programs that Residence Assistants (RAs) could use for their residents. Sydney is currently interning at the Mascaro Center for Sustainable Innovation with Dr. Cassie Quigley. She is working to create a freedom seminar on Environmental Justice that will be available to high school and college students in the spring. When Sydney isn’t furthering her knowledge on the environment, she’s busy educating others through her eco- Instagram @syd_stainable!

If you require an accommodation to participate in this event, please contact the Office for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion at diversity@pitt.edu by July 21