We had a record-breaking turnout for our 5th annual Earth Talks! Nearly 150 Wake Forest community members joined us in Pugh Auditorium on April 9 to learn about a variety of sustainability topics.
Eight students presented powerful talks, including:
- Empathy Strengthens Advocacy: The NC Hog Industry and Beyond by Sydney Smith ‘24, ‘25
- Building Trust, Driving Change: The Power of B Corp Certification in Sustainability by Sophie Keeley ‘25
- Archival Roots of Resilience: Herbariums and the Fight for Biodiversity in a Changing Climate by Thais Perez ‘26
- Eco-Journalism: Shaping the Future and Supporting Community by Ella Klein ‘26
- There Are No Climate Havens; Where Do We Go From Here? by Mateo Aguirre ‘28
- Breathtaking Risks: Indoor Air Pollution in Places of Worship by Mai Soliman ‘26
- Fashion’s Hidden Cost: The Impact of Synthetic Fabrics on Our Health and Environment by Maya Rhodes-Kropf ‘25
- Our Nature: The Powerful Link Between Self and Environment by Eric Rosenblum ‘25
Students worked with the Office of Sustainability’s own Brian Cohen to develop and rehearse their presentations over the course of two months. Each speaker had the stage for about ten minutes to convey their message and answer audience questions.
Attendees were engaged by the breadth of subjects explored, and were challenged to think differently about local ecosystems and contributors to climate change.
If you missed the event, or simply want to re-visit this year’s presentations, you can view the full program here and watch the Earth Talks recording here .
View more photos from the event on Flickr!