The Speakers 2023

Keynote: Green Coalition at GMU

Speaker: Maria D'Orsogna

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In 2007, Dr. Maria D'Orsogna learned of proposed oil activities in her home region of Abruzzo, Italy. Century-old wineries were to be uprooted to build clusters of oil wells, refineries, and pipelines, turning scenic Abruzzo into an oil district. Although based 6,000 miles away in California, Maria took it upon herself to raise awareness and educate the public at large. She blended her scientific training, her experience as a math professor, and her strong desire for social justice into an environmental movement that rapidly spread from Abruzzo across the country. She traveled from town to town in Italy, educating citizens about environmental and health effects tied to hydrocarbon extraction, debating Big Oil, exposing political corruption, engaging the Catholic Church, putting pressure on decision makers to act for the common good. While in California, she used social networks and blogging to expose wrongdoings of the oil and gas industry, coordinate letter writings, keep raising awareness and spur action. Thanks to public uproar, spearheaded by Maria's unwavering efforts, Abruzzo banned oil drilling and for the first time ever, the Italian parliament imposed a no-drill zone of 12 miles encompassing all of Italy's 5,000-mile coastline. Overall, she helped to stop at least 50 oil leases and the construction of two refineries, earning the nickname "Erin Brockovich of Italy". Maria's story is a testament of how, by engaging with the community, scientists and educators can truly make a difference.

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Speaker: Dustina Gill

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Dustina Gill, Sitomni S'a Yapiwin (Paints Red Around Her) hails from the Wahpekute Band from the Oceti Sakowin and is an enrolled citizen of the Sisseton-Wahpeton Oyate and resides in South Dakota on the Lake Traverse Reservation. Dustina is the founder and Executive Director of Nis'to (Neeshto) Incorporated, a Native NonProfit that focuses on leadership development, skill-building and health-wellness with Native youth through environmental justice, art, and community building. A youth-led, cultural lens, Dakota values approach have always been the pillars of Nis'to Inc.

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Workshop: Emma Gregory

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Emma Gregory is the Equity & Inclusion Projects Specialist at the Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay, which is a role that allows her to combine 2 of her most deeply held passions: creating a more equitable and inclusive conservation movement and working closely with local communities on issues that matter the most to them.. Growing up just outside of Annapolis, Emma has always felt connected to the Chesapeake Bay. Many of her happiest childhood memories come from running through the woods during annual family camping trips in Western Maryland or splashing in the brackish water at Cove Point during summer break. These experiences helped spark her passion for protecting the environment and instilled in her a deep love for the outdoors. Emma studied environmental science at George Mason University, where she discovered her passion for environmental justice. While at George Mason, she co-founded and led the Mason Environmental Justice Alliance (now the Student Environmental Justice Alliance) and launched the Virginia Environmental Justice Summit, which is now in its third year of bringing together student activists from throughout the state of Virginia around issues of environmental justice. Although her path has taken her around the world, from studying abroad in the Amazon rainforest of Peru and at the University of Oxford to working on the shores of Lake Tahoe and in the mountains of Colorado, she is thrilled to be back where her journey began: the Chesapeake Bay. When she’s not working, you can find Emma climbing, mountain biking, hiking, camping, or on the couch with a good book and her cat, Ginny.

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Workshop: Naamal De Silva

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Naamal is the Chief Diversity Officer at American Bird Conservancy, where she supports inclusion and equity within the organization and works with partners to promote diversity and incorporate justice into conservation. Earlier in her career, Naamal worked for a decade on identifying biodiversity priorities at Conservation International, followed by consulting work independently and with Bernuth & Williamson. She is also the founder of Mayla, which intends to support the people who protect nature through storytelling. She has a doctorate in education from George Washington University, a Master's degree in environmental management from the Yale School of the Environment, and a Bachelor's degree in biology and environmental studies from Swarthmore College. Naamal was born in Sri Lanka and moved to Washington, D.C. when she was six. She uses writing to illuminate connections between people, perspectives, and places. She loves exploring wild and watery places, old buildings, the buzz of cities, new ideas, and stories that take her far away. You can sometimes find her on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram.