Celebrating 15 Years of Cornell Atkinson - Catalyzing Uncommon Connections

Register for Livestream Events: Daytime | Evening

Join Cornell Atkinson Center for Sustainability to celebrate 15 years of advancing research to impact policy, practices, products, and public opinion. Cornell Atkinson has been at the forefront of advancing sustainability efforts by uniting experts and external partners to address complex global challenges. By transforming knowledge to impact through this work, the Center’s legacy of impact is defined by groundbreaking collaborations, innovative solutions, and a commitment to a more sustainable future. This event aims to showcase the work of Cornell Atkinson while celebrating the partnerships and researchers that make its work possible.

Agenda

9 a.m. - 4 p.m.: Online Only (Register for Livestream)
Hosted by John Toohey-Morales, Trustee, Cornell University; Atmospheric & Environmental Scientist, ClimaData Corporation 

• 9 - 9:10 a.m.: Opening Remarks by David M. Lodge, Director, Cornell Atkinson Center for Sustainability
   

• 9:10 - 9:25 a.m.: Remarks by Provost Kavita Bala, Cornell University
   

• 9:25 - 10:15 a.m.: The Value of Visionary Partnerships: Why Cornell Atkinson?
  • Anne Thompson, Chief Environmental Affairs Correspondent, NBC News; Spring 2025 Zubrow Distinguished Visiting Journalist at Cornell (Moderator)
  • David Lodge, Director, Cornell Atkinson
  • Fred Krupp, President, Environmental Defense Fund
     

• 10:15 - 10:45 a.m.: Driving Change: Showcasing the Transformative Impact of Cornell Atkinson (IIF Part One)
  • Deep Geothermal Energy
    • Ann Garth, Senior Geothermal Associate, Clean Air Task Force
    • Seth Saltiel, Assistant Research Professor, Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, Cornell University
  • Birds, Bees, and Conservation
    • Amanda Rodewald, Garvin Professor and Senior Director of the Center for Avian Population Studies, Lab of Ornithology, Cornell University
    • Kris Johnson, Director of Agriculture, The Nature Conservancy North America
       

• 10:45 - 11:00 a.m.: BREAK
   

• 11:00 - 11:30 a.m.: Driving Change: Showcasing the Transformative Impact of Cornell Atkinson (IIF Part Two)
  • Dairy Sustainability
    • Britt Groosman, Senior Vice President, Agriculture, Water and Food, Environmental Defense Fund
    • Daryl Nydam, Cornell Atkinson David Drinkwater ’94 Faculty Director and Professor in Population Medicine and Diagnostic Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University
  • Coffee Supply Chain Biodiversity
    • Viviana Gutierrez, Assistant Director, Center for Avian Population Studies and Program Leader, Conservation Science, Lab of Ornithology, Cornell University
       
• 11:30 a.m. - Noon: From the Outside In: Industry Perspectives on Partnering for Sustainable Impact
  • Kim Wagner, Trustee, Cornell University; Founder and Managing Partner, TBGD Partners (Moderator)
  • Tony Bedard, Chief Executive Officer, Frontier Co-Op
  • Andreas Mustad, Co-Founder & Managing Partner, Nexwell
  • Ruth Ann Keene, Executive Vice President, Corporate Affairs, Chief Legal Officer & Corporate Secretary, Autodesk
• Noon - 1:00 p.m.: BREAK
   

• 1:00 - 1:45 p.m.: Radical Collaboration: Influencing the World Through Sustainability Research
  • Michael Kotlikoff, Interim President, Cornell University (Moderator)
  • Cathy Kling, Professor, Dyson School of Applied Economics and Management, Cornell University
  • Mario Herrero, Professor, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Cornell University
  • Raina Plowright, Professor, College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University
  • Sheila Olmstead, Professor, Brooks School of Public Policy, Cornell University
  • Billie Faircloth, Associate Professor, College of Architecture, Art and Planning, Cornell University
  • Patrick Beary, Bruce H. Bailey Senior Director of Strategic Partnerships, Cornell Atkinson
     

• 1:45 - 3:00 p.m.: BREAK
   

• 3:00 - 3:45 p.m.: Driving Change: Showcasing the Transformative Impact of Cornell Atkinson (IIF Part Three)
  • Closed Green Loop Battery Circularity
    • Vibha Kalra, Fred H. Rhodes Professor of Chemical Engineering, Smith School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Cornell University
    • Joseph Lee, Ph.D. student Biological Engineering, Cornell University
    • Phil Bove, Director of Business Development, Sunnking
  • Drought Modeling
    • Toby Ault, Associate Professor, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Cornell University
       

• 3:45 - 4:00 p.m.: Closing Remarks by David Lodge, Director, Cornell Atkinson
   

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That Evening - Join Us Online or in G-01 Gates Hall

• 7:30 - 9:00 p.m.: The Future of U.S. Climate Policy (Register for Livestream)
  • A keynote panel of leading environmental and policy experts
    • Anne Thompson, Chief Environmental Affairs Correspondent, NBC News; Spring 2025 Zubrow Distinguished Visiting Journalist at Cornell (Moderator)
    • Gina McCarthy, Senior Advisor, Bloomberg Philanthropies; Managing Co-Chair, America Is All In coalition; Senior Fellow, The Fletcher School’s Climate Policy Lab, Tufts University; Former Head, White House Climate Policy Office, Biden Administration; Former EPA Administrator, Obama Administration
    • Mary Nichols, Former Chair, California Air Resources Board