Walter E. Browne Professor of Environmental Engineering in the James McKelvey School of Engineering at Washington University in St. Louis 

In addition to his professorship, Dan Giammar is an assistant vice provost serving on the leadership committee of the Here & Next strategic plan.  In July 2023, he became the inaugural director of the Washington University Center for the Environment.  Professor Giammar’s research focuses on chemical reactions that affect the fate and transport of heavy metals, radionuclides, and other inorganic constituents in natural and engineered aquatic systems.  His recent work has investigated the removal of selenium from drinking water, control of the corrosion of lead pipes, and geologic carbon sequestration.  His research has been sponsored by the National Science Foundation, Department of Energy, and Water Research Foundation.  Professor Giammar is an Associate Editor of Environmental Science & Technology.   

Assistant Professor and Co-Founder and Research Director of the Initiative on Social Work and Forced Migration, Brown School, Washington University in St. Louis 

Mitra Naseh is an early career forced migration scholar. Naseh’s scholarly work is centered on the multidimensional social and economic integration of forcibly displaced individuals, a focus that draws from her multidisciplinary background. Naseh’s research is influenced by her lived experiences and informed by her prior work as a staff member in non-governmental organizations and the United Nations, particularly in the Middle East and South Asia. Naseh’s scholarly contributions are underscored by her co-authored acclaimed book, “Best Practices in Social Work with Refugees and Immigrants,” published by Columbia Press in 2019. Her emerging research has garnered support from foundations and federal agencies including the Russell Sage Foundation and NIH.  

Retired

After graduate school at Washington Universisty, Ben Senturia served as the Executive Director of the St Louis Committee for Environmental Information and the founding Executive Director of the Missouri Coalition for the Environment.  He then joined the national staff of the Nuclear Weapons Freeze Campaign (Initiative Petition Director, Director of National Training) and was a co-founder of the Working Group on Electoral Democracy that helped establish full public funding laws in three states.  He also had a 25 year career as a trainer/consultant with the national Institute for Conservation Leadership, providing training for environmental groups around the United States.  After retiring, Ben has been involved with the Great Rivers Environmental Law Center, The Black Lives Matter Lawn Sign Project, the Worker Rights Board of Jobs with Justice and a variety of pro-Democracy campaigns and initiative petitions.   

Executive Director, EnergyCare

Melanie Tobin has 15 years of experience in St. Louis nonprofits working with elders and health-facing organizations. She has worked with issues of aging and housing for five years. Her background in social services and the local nonprofit sector has allowed her to witness the everyday struggles of working to improve life for the elderly and create affordable, sustainable housing in St. Louis City. Tobin’s current organization, EnergyCare, works to protect seniors and other vulnerable populations from extreme temperatures, providing emergency response summer and winter programs and ongoing support around high energy costs for low-income elders. 

Directions
We recommend you use Throop Drive and Snow Way (located off of Forest Park Parkway), Washington University for GPS directions. Get directions via Google Maps.

By MetroLink
You can take the light-rail system to the University City/Big Bend Station. After exiting the train, take the elevator or stairs to the street level. Washington University’s Danforth campus is on the Southeast corner (Big Bend and Forest Park Parkway).

The Charles F. Knight Center is located on the north side of the Danforth Campus at the intersection fo Throop Drive and Snow Way, directly across from the Milbrook Garage.

Parking
Visitor parking is available on the fourth level of Millbrook Garage. Pull a ticket at the gate when you enter. Parking rates are per hour and you pay as you exit.

If you have any accessibility needs, please contact Emily Hickner at ehickner@wustl.edu. We need to be notified at least five business days prior to the event to guarantee accommodation for interpretation and CART (Communication Access Realtime Translation) services.