AAEA President Delivers Keynote at Medgar Evers College

AAEA President Norris McDonald delivered the keynote address at the 15th Annual Conference on Environmental Issues today in the Founder's Auditorium at Medgar Evers College in Brooklyn, New York. Approximately 25o people attended the auditorium presentation. The conference was co-sponsored by Con Edison. McDonald stated that this was one of the most inspiring events he has ever participated in and noted that the questions were the best in his 30 year career.

Medgar Evers College initiate this public service event, dubbed the Annual Environmental Issues Conference in March 1996. This conference has become an imporatnt venue for disseminating environmental information to the public and for environmental professionals to interact with students and community members. Today they focused on greening of the academic curriculum. The hope to demonstrate a link between a green inspired curriculum and a green economy.

Message from the Conference Chairperson

"While we in the colleges are developing a green inspired curriculum we must safeguard against any perception of "green" as yet another gimmick. The curriculum must stress the real-world connection of green with healthier communities, more energy efficient homes and environmental sustainability."

McDonald was introduced by Michael G. Flanigan, Development Manager, External Relations MEC. Drs. Wilber Hope and Mohsin Patwary presented awards. The afternoon session inluded panesl on Environmental Sustainability, Green Initiatives, and Science Panel.

Other Co-Sponsors include: NBC/Universal, NASA, National Science Foundation, Department of Physical , Environmental & Computer Sciences, Du Bois Bunche Center for Public Policy, MEC, and the School of Scenic, Health and Technology.

Dr. John A. Gibbs - Medgar Evers College

Dr. John A. Gibbs joined the faculty at Medgar Evers College, City University of New York in 1988 where he has taught basic, general, health science and organic chemistry. In 1994 he spearheaded the development of a new BS degree program in Environmental Science. This degree program, the first environmental science degree program in the CUNY system was approved by the CUNY Board of Trustees and implemented in 1996.

The Medgar Evers College environmental science program strongly embraces the pressing and familiar issues of mainstream environmentalism, such as global warming, climate change, wildlife preservation, endangered species, but also gives an expanded focus to the urban environment. The program's unprecedented concentration on the environment of large urban areas fostered extensive research and studies on topics such as air and water pollution, drinking water quality, waste management, indoor air pollution and environmental health.

In conjunction with the implementation of the Environmental Science Degree Program, Dr. Gibbs co-founded the Annual Conference in March 2008. This conference has developed into an annual meeting place where scholars can discuss and make presentations on their research. Dr. Gibbs has guided graduates of the Medgar Evers College Environmental Science program to graduate programs in environmental chemistry, atmospheric science, soil science, occupational science and environmental education.