Introducing EPIC, the GSD for the SDGs
EPIC is a model of university-community engagement that is phenomenally productive in advancing SDG in communities around the world. This webinar will provide an easy introduction to the model, with examples. Come and learn what GSD stands for!
1pm ET / 12pm CT / 10am PT
Speakers include:
Joel Rogers
EPIC-N Chair and Secretary, Director – COWS – Faculty – University of Wisconsin-Madison
Joel Rogers is the Noam Chomsky Professor of Law, Political Science, Public Affairs, and Sociology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where he also directs COWS, the national high-road strategy center. Rogers has written widely on American politics and democratic theory. Along with many articles, his books include The Hidden Election, On Democracy, Right Turn, Metro Futures, Associations and Democracy, Works Councils, Working Capital, What Workers Want, Cites at Work, and American Society. Joel is an active citizen as well as academic. He has worked with and advised many politicians and social movement leaders, initiated and helped operate several progressive NGOs (including the New Party, Economic Analysis Research Network, Apollo Alliance, Emerald Cities Collaborative, State Innovation Exchange, and the EPIC [Educational Partnership for Innovation in Communities] – Network). He is a contributing editor of The Nation and Boston Review, a MacArthur Foundation Fellow, and identified by Newsweek as one of the 100 living Americans most likely to shape U.S. politics and culture in the 21st century.
Ilona Ballreich
Program Manager of the Sustainable Communities Collaborative (SCC), an engaged scholarship program of the Sustainability Institute at Penn State
Ilona Ballreich is the program manager of the Sustainable Communities Collaborative (SCC), an engaged scholarship program of the Sustainability Institute at Penn State. Ilona works closely with faculty and community partners to define and ensure meaningful, experiential curriculum-based student projects focused on the sustainability needs of the community. SCC projects reference the UN Sustainable Development Goals as a framework for the often complex, interdisciplinary projects to advance a comprehensive understanding of sustainability for students and community. SCC community partners include small towns and rural communities, and it is increasing service to all of Pennsylvania through its many Commonwealth campuses.
Ilona brings two decades of experience in community development to her position, including as the executive director of a non-profit organization. She is trained in community development strategies and has developed numerous community-focused programs, venues, and events. She holds a degree in industrial technology and architecture and is planning to graduate with a master’s degree in community and economic development at Penn State in spring 2021.
Gilbert Siame
Lecturer and Researcher, University of Zambia
Gilbert Siame holds both a masters and PhD in city and regional planning from the University of Cape Town in South Africa. He is a lecturer and researcher in the Department of Geography and Environmental Studies at the University of Zambia where he also co-founded and directs the Centre for Urban Research and Planning. He is the convener of the MSc in Spatial Planning at the University of Zambia. Dr Siame co-founded the Lusaka EPIC programme and co-leads EPIC Africa. He is also a member of the EPIC-N Board of Directors. Dr. Siame has done research and published widely on various topics on African cities. He is a regular keynote speaker and paper giver at various international conferences and workshops.
Gavin Luter
Managing Director of the UniverCity Alliance at the University of Wisconsin-Madison
In his role as Managing Director of the UniverCity Alliance, Gavin leads and leverages a network of faculty, staff, and students at University of Wisconsin-Madison who are interested in making local governments stronger and cities more sustainable, equitable, and democratic. He also teaches in the Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis department at UW-Madison. Gavin brings 15 years of experience brokering university-community partnerships in higher education, with an emphasis on urban school / university / community partnerships. He led civic engagement partnership efforts at the University at Buffalo Center for Urban Studies (where he still serves as a Senior Research Fellow), the United Way of Greater Knoxville, and the University of Tennessee-Knoxville’s Howard H. Baker Jr. Center for Public Policy.