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As artificial intelligence systems rapidly scale across industries, their impacts extend far beyond efficiency and innovation. This panel explores the environmental footprint of AI—from energy-intensive data centers to resource extraction—alongside the ethical and environmental justice concerns embedded in AI development and deployment. Panelists will examine who benefits from AI, who bears its burdens, and how more just and sustainable futures for AI might be imagined and built.

Speakers:ÌýÌý

• Katlyn Turner, Research Associate and Incoming Assistant Professor, Department of Information Science: Katlyn M. Turner is a researcher, traveler, educator, and creator who focuses on technology, environmental and climate justice, marginalized communities, and self-determination. She has led & conducted research on topics like critical minerals x AI, frontline communities and storytelling sovereignty, the theory & practice of inclusive innovation, epistemic & institutional exclusion in the nuclear sector, and climate justice praxis in sub-Saharan Africa. Her theoretical frameworks about technology and social hierarchy aim to make visible the externalities of technology systems and the ways in which intersectionally marginalized groups are uniquely impacted; they are frequently cited in Black feminist, HCI, STS, and systems engineering communities. Her work has been featured in large venues like climate week, The Conference, and COP, and intimate ones like Racism and the Origins of the Atomic Bomb and the Indigenous and Antiracist Innovators Summit. Katlyn earned her PhD from Stanford University advised by the late Prof.ÌýÌýand Prof.Ìý. Katlyn is a research affiliate at the MIT Media Lab and the CU Boulder Information Science Department, and is the founder and principal investigator of KTLN Consulting.ÌýÌý

• Emily Yeh, Professor of Geography: Emily Yeh is a professor of Geography and a College of Arts and Sciences Professor of Distinction at CU Boulder. Emily’s main research interests are on questions of power, political economy, and cultural politics in the nature-society relationship. Using primarily ethnographic methods, EmilyÌýhas conducted research on natural resource conflicts, environmental history, development and landscape transformation, pastoralism, and emerging environmentalisms in Tibetan areas of China. In addition, EmilyÌýhas also worked on several NSF-funded interdisciplinary, collaborative projects on putative causes of rangeland degradation and vulnerability to climate change on the Tibetan Plateau. SheÌýis also engaged in research on weather modification in the context of anthropogenic global heating, as well as the politics of decarbonization in Indonesia.Ìý

• Casey Fiesler, Associate Professor, Department of Information Science: Casey Fiesler is an associate professor and the William R. Payden Endowed Professor in the Department of Information Science (and Computer Science, by courtesy) at the University of Colorado Boulder. Armed with a PhD in Human-Centered Computing from Georgia Tech and a JD from Vanderbilt Law School, she primarily researches technology ethics and law, human-computer-interaction, and online communities (occasionally all at the same time).ÌýÌý

The whole Climate Change Program from CDPHE will be represented at their presentation: Colorado Climate Action - Policies, Projections, and Tools. Join us to learn more about how Coloradans are impacted by climate change, and how the Climate Change Program is leading an ambitious effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to protect a livable climate.

Speakers:Ìý

• Allison Robinson-Turner, Carbon Management Lead, CDPHEÌý
• Courtney Wilson, Community and Outreach Specialist, CDPHEÌý
• Cecilia White, Credit Trading and Offsets Unit Supervisor, CDPHEÌý
• Matthew Twyman, GHG Inventory & Reporting Unit Supervisor, CDPHEÌý
• Megan McCarthy, Industrial Decarbonization Specialist, CDPHEÌý
• Tim Taylor, Strategy Development Unit Supervisor, CDPHEÌý

Moderator:

• Forrest Yegge: Forrest Yegge is an undergraduate from Spokane, Washington. He's graduating this spring with degrees in Ecology & Evolutionary Biology and Philosophy. His involvement with the CUSG Environmental Board began in the Fall of 2024, where he has been focused on supporting the CU Green Labs Program and developing the Green Chemistry Subcommittee. He is also an Undergraduate Lab Assistant for the Emery Lab, aiding in tent caterpillar research along the Front Range. Post graduation, he will pursue coastal resource management in the Philippines.Ìý

Speakers:

• Ashley Ley, Ph.D. candidate in Chemistry: Ashley Ley is a Ph.D. candidate in Chemistry in Dr. Wei Zhang’s lab. She is from Minnesota and graduated with a B.A. in Biochemistry & Molecular Biology and Chemistry with a Music minor from Gustavus Adolphus College. She’s currently researching helical covalent polymers assembled using dynamic covalent chemistry for a variety of applications. Ashley works as a TA for Organic Chemistry, a Team Lead for the Environmental Center’s Green Labs program, and serves as Vice President for Women and Gender Minorities in Chemistry (ChemGems).Ìý
• Jules Immonen, Undergraduate student, Chemistry and Biochemistry double major: Jules Immonen is a freshman undergraduate student pursuing a Chemistry degree with a double major in Biochemistry. They are a Pittsburgh native but graduated from high school in Colorado. Their work with the Environmental Board started very early on, becoming the secretary of the board less than a month into their first semester. Since then, they have worked with the Green Chemistry subcommittee promoting the signing of the Green Chemistry Commitment and officially became the Co-Chair of the Environmental Board and the Green Chemistry Education subcommittee in February of 2026.ÌýÌýÌý
• Kathryn Ramirez-Aguilar, PhD, Green Labs Program Manager, CU Environmental Center: Kathryn Ramirez-Aguilar, PhD, leads the CU Boulder Green Labs Program, a program she has developed and managed since 2009. She has 15 years of research experience in chemistry and biochemistry laboratories.Ìý She is an Assistant Director of the CU Boulder Environmental Center, a board member for the International Institute for Sustainable Laboratories (I2SL) and chair of the I2SL University Alliance Group which partners on green lab efforts and works together to drive changes in systems that will benefit environmental sustainability at research institutions.Ìý
• Jacqueline Richardson, Director of Organic Chemistry Teaching Labs, CU Boulder Department of Chemistry: Jacqueline Richardson, PhD, is the Director of the Organic Chemistry Teaching Labs and is a lecturer teaching organic chemistry for the CU Boulder Department of Chemistry. She has been instrumental in integrating green chemistry into the Organic Chemistry Teaching Labs. In 2010, she received her PhD in organic chemistry from CU Boulder. In graduate school, she worked with Dr. Dave Walba on liquid crystal synthesis and characterization.Ìý

• Angie Gilbert, Assistant Director of Zero Waste Programs, CU Environmental Center: Angie joined the Environmental Center in the Fall of 2015. Being a CU Alum, it was a great fit to return to Boulder to further her career in the field of sustainability. Since 2010, Angie has worked with ESPN developing programs for waste reduction, environmental education, and sustainable practices within television production. Her focus has been on programs that further the message of environmental responsibility and stewardship in the sports and entertainment community. She is still involved in X Games, The ESPYS, and the College Football Playoffs. As the Zero Waste Program Manager at CU Boulder, she works closely with many campus partners to continue the mission of zero waste at CU Boulder. Her time is spent advising and developing more sustainable practices for events, day-to-day operations, and the Recycling Operations Center (ROC).Ìý
• Meghan Wiebe, Zero Waste Strategic Advisor, Boulder County Resource Conservation Division: Meghan Wiebe is the Zero Waste Strategic Advisor for the Boulder County Resource Conservation Division, acting as the primary staff contact for the Resource Conservation Advisory Board. In this position, Wiebe guides board members, develops policies and program recommendations, reviews zero waste funding allocations, and is responsible for outreach to the greater community. In the wake of a potential Boulder County Composting Facility, Wiebe has provided the compost facility feasibility studies and facilitated public engagement. Wiebe has been a fantastic resource for the CU Environmental Board's Compost Subcommittee.Ìý
• Jeff Reifinger, Compost Project Manager, Eco-Cycle: Jeff is a Compost Project Manager at Eco-Cycle in Boulder, where he has spearheaded the Farmer First Compost initiative and the local closed-loop, vermiculture systems. Reifinger works closely with Boulder Valley School District and the wider community, educating about effective composting, waste reduction, and regenerative agriculture. The CU Environmental Board's Compost Subcommittee is very excited about all of Reifinger's projects.Ìý

• Suzanne Jones, Executive Director, Eco-Cycle: Suzanne is the Executive Director of Eco-Cycle, and our first panelist leads one of the nation's most respected zero-waste organizations, overseeing the Boulder County Recycling Center, the Center for Hard-to-Recycle Materials, and a team of 65. With eight years on the Boulder City Council and four years serving as Mayor — during which landmark sustainability policy was championed — their perspective uniquely bridges civic leadership with real-world implementation, offering a powerful vision of what a truly circular community can look like.Ìý
• Robin Poley, Zero Waste Program Coordinator, CU Environmental Center: Robin Poley, a CU Boulder institution in his own right. What began in 2014 as a college job sorting recycling — despite majoring in Religious Studies and History — grew into a decade-long commitment to responsible waste management. Today, Robin helps manage the CU Campus Recycling Center, leads zero-waste events, and mentors a team of 25 students, empowering the next generation of sustainability advocates with the knowledge and confidence he gained as a student himself.Ìý
• Brandon Brown, Electronics Specialist, CU Surplus Store: Brandon Brown is an Electronics Specialist at the CU Surplus Store, where he got his start working at the university's distribution center as a history student at CU Boulder. He handles all the electronics that come through the store — making sure hard drives are securely wiped, and devices are ready for resale — so they can keep serving the local Boulder community. Brandon is passionate about the full life cycle of goods and wants people to think more intentionally about how much use they can still get out of the things they own.Ìý

• Liz Voss, Program Manager, Colorado Agrivoltaic Learning Center: As Program Manager at the Colorado Agrivoltaic Learning Center, Liz works to create spaces for collaboration that strengthen community connections and advance agrivoltaic deployment across Colorado. Originally from the United Kingdom, she has lived and worked across Asia and Central America before settling in Colorado in 2019. She graduated from MENV in 2025, specializing in Environmental & Natural Resources Policy and Sustainable Food Systems. Her work is grounded in the belief that equitable, community-driven solutions are essential for building resilient food and energy systems.Ìý
• Hannah Miller, Sustainability Manager, City of Louisville: Hannah Miller is the Sustainability Manager for the City of Louisville, Colorado, where she leads the creation of a new Climate Action Plan focused on climate action budgeting, internal decarbonization, and multiple emissions-reduction strategies that support community-wide decarbonization. Her work also integrates resilience and nature-based solutions while centering equity. Hannah’s career began at ICLEI–Local Governments for Sustainability USA, where she served as a Program Associate and as an Officer. In that role, she led accounts across the Midwest, developed greenhouse gas inventories, authored climate action plans and climate vulnerability assessments for municipalities nationwide, and contributed to international climate policy discussions. These experiences gave her a broad perspective on global and national climate frameworks before she chose to focus on local action in Louisville, starting as the Sustainability Specialist, where she drives direct policy change and community engagement to ignite meaningful emission reduction and environmental progress.Ìý
• Jackson Tomchek, Senior Sustainability Analyst,VF Corporation: Jackson is a corporate sustainability and climate action professional dedicated to helping organizations make informed, data-driven decisions to reduce their environmental impact. With a strong foundation in problem-solving, analytics, and cross-functional collaboration, he brings experience in climate strategy, GHG accounting, emissions forecasting, and related areas. He holds a B.S. in Entrepreneurship & Corporate Innovation with a co-major in Sustainable Business from Indiana University, as well as a Master of the Environment from the University of Colorado. Jackson has worked with leading organizations including Walmart, Brooks Running, Anthesis Group, and most recently, VF Corporation.Ìý
• Bianca Calderon- Commission Analyst, Colorado Public Utilities Commission: Bianca is a Commission Analyst at the Colorado Public Utilities Commission. She focuses most of her time on reviewing and producing the proceeding analysis for the Commissioner she works directly with. This includes working directly with one of the three Commissioners, participating in proceedings that are in front of the Commission, and reviewing all hearing documents. Bianca’s experience includes working as a graduate intern at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and spending several years consulting for Food, Agriculture, and Beverage clients, focusing on sustainability planning.Ìý

• Colleen Mary Scanlan Lyons, Associate Research Professor, Department of Environmental StudiesÌý
• Jianliang Xiao, Associate Professor, Mechanics of Materials, Micro/NanoscaleÌý
• Brianne Cohen, Associate Professor, Contemporary ArtÌý
• Gregory Whiting, Associate Professor, Mechanical EngineeringÌý
• Shideh Dashti, Professor, Geotechnical Engineering & GeomechanicsÌý
• Nikki Skinner, Associate Professor, AccountingÌý
• Alan Weimer, Professor, Chemical and Biological Engineering