SBND Virtual Event - Detroit/Windsor United Nations collaboration

How Detroit and Windsor are Working Together for a More Sustainable Region

Wayne State University and the University of Windsor are a new United Nations Regional Centre of Expertise (RCE) on Education for Sustainable Development in the Detroit-Windsor region.

This joint effort – with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals as a guide – will identify actions that address climate change, economic and health disparities, while focusing on creating a more sustainable future for the Detroit-Windsor urban border region. 

Join the Sustainable Business Network of Detroit (SBND) from noon-1:30 p.m. on Feb. 4 for a virtual event to learn more about this collaboration, which aims to:

• Focus on the challenges that the region faces as a transnational metropolitan area where water is one of the most vital and precious resources and where our shared automotive economic history provides common challenges in the need for transformation.

• Connect key stakeholders from area schools, municipal governments, and nonprofit organizations to articulate areas of research expertise and collaborative projects.

• Support research, teaching, and community participation in Education for Sustainable Development (ESD).

• Promote cross-border collaboration on sustainable development goals (SDGs), focusing on goals that draw both on our most significant strengths and our most pressing challenges.

Speakers:

Dr. Donna Kashian, professor and director of environmental science, Wayne State University, and director of UN-RCE Detroit

Donna Kashian, Ph.D., is an expert in aquatic ecology, ecotoxicology, and invasion ecology, leading a research lab in Detroit, MI. Her work focuses on using aquatic organisms as indicators of human and environmental health hazards, advancing the understanding of contaminants in the environment. With a commitment to environmental justice, she addresses the disproportionate exposure of minority groups to pollutants in urban areas like Detroit. Donna has developed innovative tools and methods to improve water quality monitoring, integrating her findings into community-based educational programs to raise awareness about environmental health threats. She holds a Ph.D. in Zoology/Ecotoxicology from the University of Wisconsin, an M.S. in Zoology from Michigan State University, and a B.S. in Biology from Eastern Michigan University. Click here to learn more!

Dr. Anneke Smit, associate professor and the founder and inaugural Director of the Centre for Cities (C4C) at Windsor Law, and director of UN-RCE Windsor

Anneke Smit, Ph.D., is the founder and inaugural Director of the Centre for Cities (C4C) and an Associate Professor at Windsor Law. With a Ph.D. from the University of Reading, an LLB from McGill University, and a Bachelor of Music from the University of Alberta, she has also held visiting positions at Oxford University, Université d'Aix-Marseille, and Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. Dr. Smit’s research and teaching focus on spatial justice, exploring the intersection of people and place through municipal law, land use planning, and property law. Her co-edited book, Public Interest, Private Property: Law and Planning Policy in Canada (UBC Press, 2016), remains essential reading in law and planning courses across Canada. As Director of C4C, she leads a collaborative, interdisciplinary team addressing global challenges through equitable and sustainable city-building. Her recent work, States of Emergency: Democracy and participatory governance in Canadian municipalities during COVID-19 (2020), co-authored with C4C student researchers, garnered significant media attention. Click here to learn more!

Moderator:

Terry Barclay, president and CEO, Inforum, and chair of SBND

Terry A. Barclay has served as president and CEO of Inforum since 2001 and as founding chair of Sustainable Business Network Detroit since its creation in 2021. Under Terry’s leadership, Inforum has grown to 7,500 members and works with 125 corporate and organizational partners to strengthen corporate talent pipelines and advance women in the workplace. In addition to leading SBN Detroit, Terry is vice chair of The Nature Conservancy in Michigan, a member of the Cranbrook Board of Trustees, and a member of Leaderboard (leaderboardwomen.com), a national organization dedicated to increasing the presence of women on corporate boards. More about Terry here.

EVENT DETAILS

Cost: Free, but registration required.

Questions about the event content? Contact Inforum Vice President Cindy Goodaker at cgoodaker@inforummichigan.org.

Questions about event details/logistics? Contact Anna Grace, Inforum member experience and event manager, at agrace@inforummichigan.org.