PRAIRIE VIEW, Texas (April 20, 2023) – There are many reasons to attend Prairie View A&M University’s inaugural Green Symposium, hosted by the Honors Program. Among them are to learn more about why issues related to sustainability are so crucial to Historically Black Colleges and Universities.
PVAMU’s student body, as well as Prairie View residents, are invited to attend the symposium, which takes place this Friday at 3 p.m. in the A.I. Thomas Administration Building. The event features a panel of community leaders and university students who are passionate and knowledgeable about sustainability.
The panel includes:
- Anisah Hassan, PVAMU 3rd Year Finance Major
- Robert Thomas, PVAMU 3rd Year Agriculture Major
- Tiffany D. Thomas, City Council Member for Houston District F and PVAMU Faculty Member
- Brian E. Rowland, Former Mayor (11th) of Prairie View, Texas
- Kelly Wellman, Sustainability Director at Texas A&M University
- Lindsey Slay Williams, Director of Community Development at Houston Land Bank
“Each of the panelists brings their unique skills and experiences to provide different perspectives on the topic of sustainability,” said senior civil engineering major Allyssa Reynolds, who organized the event. “Together, they lend a multidisciplinary approach to the Green Symposium that will stimulate curiosity, provoke conversation, and, we hope, promote environmental awareness and personal action.”
According to Reynolds, each panelist will speak to the three pillars of sustainability: economic viability, environmental protection and social equity. The expected outcome will be to have an impact—among students and residents of Prairie View—that sparks change in daily habits and meaningful discussions in professional, academic and civic settings.
“Sustainability and environmental efforts should be on the minds of all our students, our future leaders. A growing manifestation of racism in our communities of color is environmental racism, often attributed to redlining. Many of our health problems are linked to the fact that toxins predominate in communities, and this is not discussed enough in our conversations. These are the discussions we have within the Honors Program, and it’s an inspiring experience to have an interdisciplinary approach to solving the problem. HBCUs have a long history of cultivating scientists, teachers, politicians and engineers – so it is fitting to start here to introduce the conversation,” said Chelsee B.H. Young, assistant director of the Honors Program.
This Friday’s Green Symposium culminates and celebrates the Green Project’s first year. Launched within the PVAMU Honors Program at the beginning of this academic year, the Green Project hosted monthly gatherings over two semesters. Often these meetings served to introduce students to the topic of sustainability in general and as it relates to issues such as energy, agriculture, building and our day-to-day actions. Participants also examined real-world case studies and repurposed Amazon packaging into their own recycling bins.
Reynolds, who looks forward to welcoming the members of the student body and local community to the event, notes that the Green Project and Green Symposium happened thanks to a team that includes the Honors Program staff and leadership, Inès Frazier, Maya Scott and Celine R.S.
“I am glad to see the University sponsoring such an event before I graduate in May,” adds Reynolds, who plans to pursue a career or advanced degree that prioritizes sustainability in the built environment. “I hope that we succeed in opening people’s minds to different topics and build upon this in years to come.”
By Sara Kaplaniak
-PVAMU-