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Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences

CFAES

2025 Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Speaker Series

The CFAES Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Virtual Speaker Series invites distinguised speakers to address a variety of DEI topics related to the disciplines of food, agricultural, and environmental sciences. The speaker series strives to center the voices of people from minoritized populations to advance equity and inclusion within CFAES and our communities. All events are free and open to the public.

Please save the dates so you can join us for all events! All sessions take place on Zoom from 12:00pm-1:00pm ET on the third Thursdays of select months (see schedule below). Each session will involve a presentation and Q&A. See below for titles, descriptions, speaker bios, and registration links. 

To receive direct communications about upcoming DEI programs, please sign up for the monthly CFAES DEI Newsletter.

 

2025 DEI Speaker Series Overview (click titles to view details)

DATE
SPEAKER(S)
TITLE
Feb. 20

Dr. Alice Laciny

Amanda Markee

Dr. Leo Taylor

Dr. Mary Gardiner

Noma Semler

Neurodivergence in Entomology: A Panel Discussion
Mar. 20

LaDonna Sanders Redmond

Food + Justice = Democracy: Reclaiming Power in the 21st Century

Apr. 17

Diandra Marizet Esparza

Intersectional Environmentalism: Building a Collective Climate and Social Justice Movement to Engage Today’s Issues
Sept. 18

Dr. Carrie Chennault

Prison Agriculture and Racial Capitalism in the United States
Nov. 20

Dr. Stephon Fitzpatrick

Empowering Historically Underrepresented Individuals in Food and Agriculture To Lead with Their Stories & Experiences

 

Descriptions and Speaker Bios


Neurodivergence in Entomology: A Panel Discussion

February 20, 2025 – 12:00pm-1:00pm ET

Description:

Join us for a special panel discussion about the intersection of neurodivergence and entomology. Speakers in various stages of their careers will describe not just the challenges they have faced as neurodivergent individuals, but also the unique skills and interests they possess because of their neurodivergence. Speakers will discuss their experiences living with a variety of neurodivergent conditions including dyslexia, autism, ADHD, obsessive compulsive disorder, bipolar disorder, and CPTSD. Panelists will speak about their lived realities and participants will have an opportunity to ask questions and contribute to the conversation. This program is intended for anyone interested in learning more about neurodivergence, regardless of their interest in entomology. Free and open to the public.

Attendees are encouraged to read Why Neurodiversity and Entomology So Often Go Together, written by panelist Dr. Alice Laciny. 

About the speakers

White masculine nonbinary person with red beard wearing bright colorful clothing, scarf, glasses, and rimmed hatDr. Leo Taylor (he/him, panelist and moderator) - Leo Taylor is a queer, neurodisabled, nonbinary transman/man, entomologist, and artist who thrives despite living with bipolar disorder, ADHD, and CPTSD. Although he received a PhD in entomology from Cornell University, he pivoted into diversity, equity, and inclusion education and consulting in 2019. He currently works for the College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences in the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion and owns a consulting business. His entomological research interests center on the evolution of sexual reproduction and mating systems. His hobbies include making jewelry and other unusal art from LEGO bricks, minifigures, and found objects, gardening, thrifting, and writing.

 

 

smiling Filipina American person with long black hair, glasses, and nose ring standing in front of a tree with yellow/orange leavesAmanda Markee (she/her, panelist) - Amanda Markee is a first-generation Filipina American pursuing her PhD in Comparative Biology at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City. Her dissertation research uses genomic and morphological tools to better understand the evolutionary history and diversity of silk production across arthropods. She completed her BA in Biology from New College of Florida in 2015, and her MSc. in Interdisciplinary Ecology from the University of Florida in 2023. Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) has taught her how to navigate building community in academic spaces and helps her practice resilience during the challenges of grad school. In her free time, she enjoys playing video games, and spending time with her friends and family.

 

White person outdoors in a boat looking over their right shoulder wearing a hat, glasses, and red life jacketDr. Alice Laciny (she/her, panelist) - Alice Laciny (she/her) is an autistic entomologist and science educator from Austria. After completing her PhD at the University of Vienna, she now works at the Vienna Natural History Museum as well as the Institute of Science and Technology Austria. During an interdisciplinary postdoctoral project funded by the L'Oréal For Women in Science grant, she explored the influence of autistic traits on the work of social insect researchers. In both her work and her free time, she is passionate about neurodiversity, insects, and writing - ideally combining all three wherever possible. She enjoys communicating her scientific research through creative writing, such as poetry or short stories for adults and children and is the author of the Psyche opinion piece Why Neurodiversity and Entomology So Often Go Together.

 

smiling white person with round glasses and medium length brown hair and long bangsNoma Semler (they/them, panelist) - Noma Semler is an autistic queer and nonbinary entomologist who has had a life-long interest in the outdoors and insects. They are currently a second-year master's student in the Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology at The Ohio State University, where they study under Dr. Karen Goodell. Noma’s research explores the nesting preferences of Andrena geranii, a specialist bee of Waterleaf (Hydrophyllum spp.), across varying soil landscapes in Ohio. In 2023 Noma earned a B.S. in Entomology and Biology from The Ohio State University and was the recipient of the Distinguished Senior Award. In addition to their undergraduate studies, Noma spent several years working in the C.A. Triplehorn Insect Collection and Goodell Lab. They hope to combine their passion for entomology with inclusive teaching practices as a future college-level professor, using the diversity of insects to spark discussions about human diversity. Outside the lab, Noma enjoys hiking, taxidermy, bug-catching, playing board games, and spending time with their cat, Beef.

 

Feminine white person with long blondish brown hair wearing a tan sleeveless blouseDr. Mary M. Gardiner (she/her, panelist) - Mary M. Gardiner is a Distinguished Professor of Food, Agricultural and Environmental Sciences at The Ohio State University and Co-Director of the OSU Environmental Science Graduate Program. The Gardiner Lab’s community-engaged research program examines the ecology and management of urban greenspaces for insect conservation including vacant lots, residential greenspaces, parks, and rain gardens. The Gardiner Lab has published over 75 peer-reviewed publications and been awarded $8.1 M in grant support, with current funding from the NSF, USDA, and the MITRE Foundation. Mary is also a State Specialist in Extension and is active in the Ohio Master Gardener Volunteer Program. She has advised 23 graduate students and postdocs and teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in insect ecology, presentation skills, and grant writing. Mary serves on the Entomological Society of America Governing Board and is a Past President of the ESA North Central Branch. Mary is open about being neurodivergent and uses her experiences and successes to help and motivate all students towards advancing their careers in Entomology and Environmental Sciences.  

 

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Food + Justice = Democracy: Reclaiming Power in the 21st Century

March 20, 2025 – 12:00pm-1:00pm ET

LaDonna Sanders Redmond 
President and CEO, Institute for Community Resource Development

Description:

In a world where food insecurity, corporate control, and systemic inequities still dictate who eats and who struggles, the fight for food justice is more urgent than ever. It has been 11 years since the TEDx talk, Food+Justice = Democracy by Food Justice Activist, LaDonna Redmond. This updated and expanded talk revisits the powerful connections between food, justice, and democracy, revealing how communities are reclaiming power over their food systems.

LaDonna will explore the ongoing impact of food apartheid, the rise of food sovereignty movements, and how cooperative models are proving that economic and racial justice can thrive when communities control their food systems. From policy advocacy to grassroots solutions, this conversation challenges the status quo and offers a vision for a food system that truly serves the people—not just profits.

Food justice isn’t just about access—it’s about power. Join LaDonna as she charts a path toward a future where food is a right, not a privilege, and where justice at the table means democracy in action.

About the speaker:

Smiling Black woman with long braids, red lipstick wearing a black shirt and several necklacesLaDonna Sanders Redmond is a Qualified Administrator (QA) of the Intercultural Development Inventory (IDI) and Intercultural Organizational Development Consultant and Coach with Columinate.  She is the former Diversity and Community Engagement Manager for the Seward Co-op in Minneapolis, MN and led the co-ops diversity and engagement initiatives that contributes positively to organizational culture, marketplace competitiveness, and social responsibility. 

LaDonna is a community activist who worked on several public health issues throughout her career such as substance abuse, violence and food justice.  She successfully worked to get Chicago Public Schools to eliminate junk food, launched urban agriculture projects, started a community grocery store and worked on federal farm policies to expand access to healthy food in communities of color. In 2009, she was one of 25 citizen and business leaders named a Responsibility Pioneer by Time Magazine. In 2013, LaDonna delivered an abbreviated version of her Food + Justice = Democracy talk at TEDxManhattan.

 

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Intersectional Environmentalism: Building a Collective Climate and Social Justice Movement to Engage Today’s Issues

April 17, 2025 – 12:00pm-1:00pm ET

Diandra Marizet Esparza
Cofounder and Director of Impact

Description:

Inspired by the work of Kimberlé Crenshaw, Leah Thomas identified and popularized the term intersectional environmentalism, defined as ‘an inclusive approach to environmentalism that advocates for the protection of both people and the planet.’ In this presentation, attendees learn how identity and culture intersect with environmentalism to engage today's most pressing climate issues. This case-based presentation provides a foundational base to help folks learn about and deepen their understanding of climate and social justice through an intersectional lens.

About the speaker:

Light brown skinned woman with long brown hair wearing a black halter top, necklace and high-waisted cotton pantsDiandra Marizet Esparza (she/her) is an organizational development strategist, published writer, poet and co-founder of Intersectional Environmentalist, where she currently serves as the Director of Impact. Diandra’s work seeks to help environmentalists everywhere recognize culture as an expression of relationship to land. Her work advocates for the accessibility of diverse stories for rising generations. Diandra is a contributing writer in the academically adopted book The Intersectional Environmentalist: How to Dismantle Systems of Oppression to Protect People + Planet

 

 

 

 

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Prison Agriculture and Racial Capitalism in the United States

September 18, 2025 – 12:00pm-1:00pm ET

Dr. Carrie Chennault 
Assistant Professor in the Department of Anthropology and Geography at Colorado State University

Description:

Prison agriculture in the US - rooted in the racial capitalist state’s criminalization of poverty, plantation convict leasing system, and work reform efforts - encompasses an array of animal, food, and plant production. In this talk, Dr. Carrie Chennault from Colorado State University's Prison Agriculture Lab will discuss how the prison system folded explicit forms of exploitation and claims of rehabilitation together into a raced, classed, and gendered disciplinary logic to justify the diverse agricultures taking place in at least 660 US adult state prisons by the early 2020s. She will outline how prison authorities rationalize prison agriculture with claims that they serve financial, idleness reduction, reparative, and training purposes. She will also provide an overview of the research conducted in the Prison Agriculture Lab, which maps prison agriculture to understand and show its embeddedness in carceral conditions that transcend and connect individual agricultural sites. The lab's research utilizes critical GIS, visual, and creative methods to lay bare the disciplinary logics of prison agriculture that shore up the power of the prison system. To date, the lab has pursued a range of artistic, educational, and politically strategic scholar and scholar-activist works, including GIS mapping and story mapping, to explain the purposes and types of prison agriculture in relation to (trans)local economic and social conditions, including poverty, education levels, and the overincarceration of Black and Latinx people and incarcerated people in women’s prisons. Looking ahead, Dr. Chennault will discuss opportunities for countermapping with incarcerated workers in prison agriculture, as well as pedagogical applications of the lab’s work in educational, activist, and prison abolition settings. 

About the speaker:

Smiling white woman with long dark hair wearing a colorful sleeveless top standing next to a treeCarrie Chennault, Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Anthropology and Geography at Colorado State University, a 2024-2025 Joe Blake Center for Engaged Humanities Fellow, and the co-director of CSU's Prison Agriculture Lab. She has published in journals including Annals of the American Assocation of GeographersAntipode, and Agriculture and Human Values and is a contributor in Feminist Geography Unbound: Discomfort, Bodies, and Prefigured Futures. Her scholar-activist research engages feminist, queer, and Black geographies and political ecology in studying pathways toward food and environmental justice in the United States. 

 

 

 

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Empowering Historically Underrepresented Individuals in Food and Agriculture To Lead with Their Stories & Experiences

November 20, 2025 – 12:00pm-1:00pm ET

Dr. Stephon Fitzpatrick
Executive Director, Together We Grow
President, Minorities in Agriculture, Natural Resources & Related Sciences (MANRRS)

Description:

Dr. Stephon Fitzpatrick, a leader and change-agent in the food and agriculture sector, will share stories about his own journey as a minority in agriculture to highlight the importance of diverse voices and perspectives in shaping the future of agriculture.  He will describe how his involvement in MANRRS and support from mentors shaped and guided his career. This engaging and empowering webinar will inspire individuals from historically underrepresented backgrounds in the food and agriculture sectors to harness the power of their unique stories and lived experiences so that they, too, can thrive in their careers. This talk will also be beneficial for faculty, staff, and other advocates who want to better support minorities students and young people pursuing careers in agriculture.

About the speaker:

Smiling Black man with long black beard and short black hair wearing glasses and a green zippered jacket sitting in front of a black backdropDr. Stephon Fitzpatrick is a distinguished expert in organizational leadership and change management, with a profound commitment to driving innovation and inclusivity within the agriculture industry. With over two decades of experience, Dr. Fitzpatrick has been at the forefront of transformative initiatives that empower organizations to navigate complex changes and achieve sustainable growth. He has dedicated his career to advocating for inclusive practices and creating opportunities for marginalized communities. Through his work, Dr. Fitzpatrick has successfully led numerous programs and initiatives that promote diversity, equity, and inclusion, ensuring that all voices are heard and valued. He currently serves as the National MANRRS (Minorities in Agriculture, Natural Resources & Related Sciences) President.  He also serves as the newly appointed Executive Director of Together We Grow, a consortium made up of companies, non-governmental organizations, universities, and government agencies with a stake in American agriculture and food and a commitment to building a modern workforce that reflects the communities in which we live and work.  A product of three Historically Black Colleges & Universities (HBCUs), Dr. Fitzpatrick continues to give back and inspire the now generation of individuals looking to make a lasting impact within the food and agriculture industry. 

 

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