
The Climate Literacy 101 interactive workshop is designed to interpret the science and impacts of climate change for broad action, on campus and beyond.
We will be joined by special guests Melvin Carter, Mayor of St. Paul, and Dr. Heidi Roop, Assistant Director for Climate Services, White House Office of Science and Technology Policy and UMN Climate Adaptation Partnership.
Thursday, November 14th, 11am-2pm. Coffman Union, Mississippi Room (3rd floor). M Food Co. is providing a "climate cool" lunch.
About Mayor Melvin Carter:
A fourth-generation Saint Paul resident, Mayor Carter leads with an unapologetic equity agenda. Since taking office in 2018, his accomplishments include raising the city’s minimum wage; tripling free program in rec centers; eliminating late fines in public libraries; reestablishing an Affordable Housing Trust Fund; expanding immigrant & refugee support resources; and launching an Office of Financial Empowerment. One signature initiative is CollegeBound Saint Paul, Mayor Carter’s plan to start every child born in the city with a $50 College Savings Account, starting January 1, 2020.
Passionate about helping others engage in civic processes, Mayor Carter has trained progressive activists and candidates in over 30 states, and commonly recites his administration’s mantra: “Building a city that works for us all means we all must do the work.”
Prior to his election in 2017, Mayor Carter has served as a Saint Paul City Council Member; Founding Board Chair of the Saint Paul Promise Neighborhood; Director of the Minnesota Office of Early Learning; and Executive Director of the Minnesota Children’s Cabinet.
A proud graduate of the Saint Paul public schools, Mayor Carter holds a Bachelor’s Degree in business administration from Florida A&M University and a Master of Public Policy from the Humphrey School of Public Affairs at the University of Minnesota. He resides in Saint Paul with his wife, Dr. Sakeena Futrell-Carter, and their children.
About Dr. Heidi Roop:
Dr. Heidi Roop is Deputy Director for Services, and also serves as Assistant Director for Climate Services at the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, where she is detailed from the University of Minnesota.
Heidi is the Director of the Climate Adaptation Partnership and an Assistant Professor of Climate Science and Extension Specialist at the University of Minnesota. Her applied climate research and Extension program draws upon multiple disciplines, from climate and decision science to public health and hydrology, to help local and state governments, Tribes, communities and businesses understand and effectively manage their changing climate risks.
Heidi's climate science research has taken her around the world, from Antarctica and Greenland to the shores of Lake Superior. In addition to her appointments at the University of Minnesota, she also is an Affiliate Assistant Professor in the School of Public Health at the University of Washington and has served as expert advisor to a range of organizations and agencies as they seek to build resilience to climate change.