91ֿ East Liverpool is holding the 2020 Earth Day Environmental Justice Conference in a virtual format, using Zoom technology, an internet conferencing tool. The conference is Sat., April 18, from 9 a.m. to noon, and is open to the public.
The theme of this year’s conference is “The Birds and The Bees,” highlighting student research about the importance of these creatures to the environment.
Those wanting to join the conference remotely, must register in advance using an email address to . After registering, a confirmation email will be sent with instructions to join the meeting. The conference can be viewed on computers and phones with internet access.
This is the 15th annual Earth Day Environmental Justice Conference. When the campus closed in mid-March because of the COVID-19 situation, it looked like the conference was going be canceled. The planning committee, however, was encouraged by Dr. David Dees, campus dean, to look for other options and, therefore, decided to host a virtual conference using online technology.
The initial planned speakers opted out of the virtual conference, but the committee members did not give up. They developed an enlightening program to address the major concerns and importance of bees and birds in our environment.
Student research on a variety of environmental justice issues will also be highlighted and virtual breakout rooms will allow students to share their research with a broader audience.
The Earth Day Conference planning committee is chaired by Dr. Darryl Hancock and members include Dr. Lydia Rose, Dr. Q. Ding, Megan Rodgers, Dr. Haiyan Zhu and Matt Stewart. While it was challenging, the committee is excited to offer the conference since this is the 50th anniversary of Earth Day and the 50th anniversary of the Environmental Protection Agency.
For more information about the conference, visit www.kent.edu/columbiana.