Inspiring Hope for Climate Action: The Journey of McMaster Alumni in Creating a Leading Youth Climate Charity
Online Event
24/04/2024, 7:00 pm - TO 24/04/2024 - 8:00 pm
Organizer: Alumni Engagement Office
Inspiring Hope for Climate Action: The Journey of McMaster Alumni in Creating a Leading Youth Climate Charity.
with Kyle Empringham ’11 and Dr. Sujane Kandasamy ’11
The ability to hold climate anxiety and hope for the future has challenged today’s youth as they create a greener, kinder planet. This tension is what fuelled The Starfish Canada, one of the nation’s leading youth climate charities (and born from a second-year Biology class here at McMaster). Join Sujane Kandasamy (Biology ’11) and Kyle Empringham (Biology ’11), co-founders of The Starfish Canada, as they share insights and wisdom on what it means to run a climate charity with equity and inclusion in mind.
About Kyle:
Kyle Empringham is a nonprofit operations professional with over 15 years of experience in helping purpose-driven organizations thrive. Kyle holds a degree in Biology (McMaster University), a masters in resource management (Simon Fraser University), and is an MBA Candidate in Sustainable Innovation (University of Victoria). Kyle hopes to bring guidance and mentorship to The Starfish Canada as it grows and develops. In his spare time, Kyle likes to swim, run and cycle (although has yet to attempt a triathlon).
About Sujane:
Dr. Sujane Kandasamy is an intersectional environmentalist, knowledge translation researcher, and community-engaged scholar. She has worked alongside interdisciplinary teams to strengthen opportunities for improved health and wellness in Indigenous and newcomer communities for many years. She is dedicated to using/developing community-driven and culturally authentic research designs and interventions that use strengths-based approaches.
As a McMaster alumni, Sujane holds a BSc (Biology), BA (Anthropology), MSc (Health Research Methodology) & PhD (Health Research Methodology) and is currently a postdoctoral research fellow at Brock University and Planetary Health Instructor at McMaster University. She is also the Co-Lead of PEACH Health Ontario (Partnerships for Environmental Action by Clinicians and Communities for Health care Facilities) and the Co-Founder & Director of Learning and Development at The Starfish Environmental Society.