Earth Talks 2025

Keynote Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal

A former Washington State Senator and a lifelong organizer for immigrant, civil, and human rights, Representative Pramila Jayapal is currently serving her fifth term in Congress for WA-07, which encompasses Seattle and surrounding communities. In 2016, she became the first South Asian American woman ever elected to the House. She came to the United States alone at the age of 16 and went on to start the largest immigrant rights organization in Washington state before becoming one of only two dozen naturalized citizens serving in Congress today. Representative Jayapal is the lead sponsor of multiple landmark progressive bills including the Medicare for All Act, the College for All Act, the Housing is a Human Right Act, the Ultra-Millionaire Tax Act, and the Roadmap to Freedom immigration resolution. She currently serves on the Judiciary Committee, where she is also Ranking Member of the Immigration Subcommittee, as well as the Budget and Foreign Affairs Committees. She is a Chair Emerita of the nearly 100-member Congressional Progressive Caucus, having led the caucus for six years and establishing term limits. Congresswoman Jayapal lives in Seattle with her husband Steve and dog Otis. 

Speakers and Presentations

Beloved Community is a Climate Justice Movement - Dr. Jamie Cho, Ph.D

Presentation synopsis: Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s work rooted in the transformative nature of love and nonviolent action to create beloved community, is at the heart of realizing climate justice. King, as he expanded the scope of his advocacy, talked/wrote about “living in the world house” which illustrated his belief in the interrelated and collective nature of our world. This idea rooted in social justice calls on us all to realize the connectivity of humans across the world, and non-human living forms, to be part of a beloved community together. Indigenous wisdom also guides us in work toward climate justice by recognizing the false hierarchy of humans over nature and instead conceptualizes humans and nature as part of the same circle of life. By embracing beloved community, we all can enact climate justice.

Bio: Jamie Cho, Ph.D. is Director of Public Education in Beloved Community Initiative at Seattle University’s College of Education. In partnership with schools across Washington, she works with public school leaders to enact change that centers relationships, love and care. Her scholarship in education focuses on creating joyful, equitable, and just learning experiences for all children that honors their identities, histories, and lived experiences. An early interventionist, inclusion specialist, teacher educator, field supervisor, researcher, and parent educator, she draws from her varied experiences to translate theory into practice toward realizing just educational systems.

Farm to School Education - Gina Parker

Presentation synopsis: This presentation on farm-to-school education aims to offer a plausible starting place for schools to begin their transition to this kind of learning and explain why it is necessary to make a change. It reflects on the significant benefits of this type of holistic switch in education, specifically the positive impact it would have on the surrounding communities and wildlife and the culture shift it would create nationally and, ideally, globally. she will explain what environmental education is, the doable steps to getting started, and how it combats big agriculture/corporate farming as well as with the bigger environmental goals that farm-to-school education would contribute to.

Bio: Gina Parker is a fourth-year student at Seattle University, majoring in Sociology and minoring in Writing Studies. She has always been passionate about the environment and sustainability. During her first year of college, she was able to study ecology abroad in Turrialba, Costa Rica, on the CATIE (Centro Agronómico Tropical de Investigación y Enseñanza) campus. During the Summer of 2024, she was the education and outreach intern at SR3 (Sealife Response, Rehab, and Research), teaching people about marine mammals and the importance of sustainable living. While at Seattle University, one of her academic interests has been researching farm-to-school education and implementation.

Emergency Preparedness: Storm-Proof Your Information Consumption Habits - Jennifer Bodley, MLIS

Presentation synopsis: When extreme climate events occur, like Hurricane Milton or the LA wildfires, a deluge of misinformation inevitably follows. This creates mass confusion, reduces access to and deployment of aid and weakens public trust in governmental agencies and disaster relief organizations. Suppose you or a loved one were involved in an extreme climate event. Are you prepared to find credible information for an emerging disaster? Whether or not you're personally affected by a disaster, discerning accurate information is essential to your role in a healthy democracy and society. Reflect on your own information consumption habits and learn how you can be better informed and engaged with information you encounter online.

Bio: As a Seattle University librarian, Jennifer has supported students at bachelor, master and doctoral levels across a variety of programs. Her aims are building critical information consumers and creators, and empowering students to amplify their own voice.

Fungi as Allies: Investigating the Potential of Mycoremediation in Tackling Soil Pollution - Jess Woolfolk

Presentation synopsis: Jess will present the research she has been conducting on the developing science of mycoremediation for her capstone, focusing on leveraging fungi to address soil pollution. As industries expand to meet global demands, soil pollution from agricultural runoff, industrial waste, heavy metals, and persistent pollutants is rising, threatening biodiversity, fertility, and human health. White-rot fungi like Trametes versicolor and Pleurotus ostreatus produce enzymes capable of degrading harmful substances such as PCBs, pesticides, and heavy metals. Through bioaccumulation and biosorption, fungi can uptake and break down these pollutants, turning them into less toxic byproducts. Additionally, fungal activity improves soil health and supports ecosystem recovery by attracting insects, which in turn attract birds and other seed dispersers, fostering biodiversity. As industries grow, sustainable remediation solutions are increasingly needed. Traditional methods like chemical and physical treatments can be costly, energy-intensive, and disruptive. Mycoremediation offers a cost-effective, environmentally friendly alternative that supports ecological restoration by harnessing fungi’s natural ability to detoxify pollutants and enhance soil fertility.

Bio: Growing up in the Pacific Northwest, Jess has been fortunate to experience the breathtaking beauty of nature as an integral part of her life. Whether backpacking through the rugged Cascade Mountains with friends, snowboarding along the timberline of Mt. Hood with her dad, paddle boarding across Oregon’s pristine rivers and lakes, or seeking solace beside the cascading waterfalls of Washington, the outdoors have always been her sanctuary. These experiences have not only shaped her identity but have also been the foundation for personal growth, connection with loved ones, and moments of introspection. As she continued to grow and learn more about the natural world that surrounded me, She began to recognize a fragile balance. She saw that the same wilderness that raised and inspired me was under threat. This realization instilled a deep sense of responsibility in her—not only to immerse herself in nature but to protect it for future generations. Since childhood, the “leave no trace” ethic was more than a principle for family camping trips; it was a way of life. As she pursue my passion for environmental stewardship, she is committed to expanding this ethos by striving to leave the earth better than it was found. Now, as an environmental studies and biology student, environmental justice, sustainability, and activism is at the core of everything she does. 

No Junk, Only Art - Father Trung Pham, SJ, MFA, and Jenikka Cruz

Presentation synopsis: You have probably seen two wooden animal sculptures constructed from recycled materials standing in the garden adjacent to Saint Ignatius Chapel. These works emerged through a collaboration between students, the SU mail center, a local construction company, and Home Depot. These artworks exemplify sustainable artmaking through thoughtful material choice, interactive design, and awareness of environmental impact. This presentation will examine how upcycled art responds creatively to environmental challenges and provides a tangible example of caring for our “common home.”

Bio: Father Trung Pham, Chair of the Department of Visual Arts at Seattle University, has served the institution for 12 years. He teaches drawing, 3-D design, sculpture, and theological aesthetics. His notable commissioned works include a bronze crucifixion sculpture at Saint James Cathedral, a bronze statue of Pope John XXIII at the same name parish in Tacoma, and a composite relief depicting 117 Vietnamese martyrs at the Vietnamese parish in Tukwila. Father Pham has been awarded residencies at Fuller Theological Institute, WA, Grunewald Guild, WA. He currently serves on the advisory committee of George Tsutakawa Art Gallery at Seattle’s Wing Luke Museum.

Bio: Jenikka Cruz is a third-year student at Seattle University pursuing a degree in Art and Visual Culture Studies. Her artistic practice primarily focuses on 3D modeling and 3D printed sculptures, where she explores the transient nature of life.

Reaching Rural Voters: Understanding and Engaging with Rural Perspectives to Increase Support for Environmental Policy - Sophia Hampton

Presentation synopsis: Sophia will talk about her Environmental Studies capstone project. It researched how environmental advocacy groups and policymakers can realize the support of rural communities for environmental policy. While rural voters make up a smaller portion of the body politic compared to urban voters, their political preference is overrepresented in the federal government, they are facing unique and extreme risks of the climate crisis, and their buy-in is important to the implementation of many policies. Her research found that working on building relationships with existing and trusted disseminators of environmental information, framing environmental policy information around financial and material benefits, and writing policies that financially incentivize pro-environmental behavior and that include input from rural stakeholders are effective strategies for increasing support from rural voters

Bio: Sophia is a fourth-year Environmental Studies and Public Affairs double major. She is passionate about community engagement and education about environmental issues and solutions.

AI and “Care for our Common Home” - Dr. Onur Bakiner, Ph.D

Presentation synopsis: This talk introduces the audience to the expected benefits and concrete risks of artificial intelligence (AI) for the environment. Using the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as a normative benchmark, it shows that while AI can contribute to a more sustainable future, the energy and resource requirements of training current Generative AI models, combined with their societal risks in terms of bias and discrimination, misinformation, and privacy violations, necessitate oversight and regulation to make SDGs a realistic target in the age of AI.

Bio: Onur Bakiner is associate professor of political science and director of the Technology Ethics Initiative at Seattle University. His research and teaching interests include technology & society, technology governance, human rights, and judicial politics. His current research examines AI governance models. His articles have been published in Big Data & Society, Law, Innovation and Technology, AI & Ethics, The Journal of Comparative Politics, Annual Review of Law & Social Science, Negotiation Journal, Civil Wars, Journal of Law and Courts, International Journal of Transitional Justice, Memory Studies, and Turkish Studies.