Generations: A Conversation Between

Generations: A Conversation Between is an open, educational, and inspiring real-time dialogue between women of varying ages, ethnicities, and backgrounds representing the Silent, Baby Boomer, X, Millennial, and Z generations. Each year the Connecticut Women's Hall of Fame will choose a relevant topic that will inspire an in-depth cross-generation discussion.

We hope you will join us for A Conversation Between.

Meet our Panelists: Mayor Caroline Simmons (Millennial), Dr. Anji Seth (Gen X), Geena Clonan (Moderator), Kat Morris (Gen Z), and Dr. Elsa M. Núñez (Boomer)

CWHF Executive Director Sarah Lubarsky with our Panelists: Mayor Caroline Simmons (Millennial), Dr. Anji Seth (Gen X), Geena Clonan (Moderator), Kat Morris (Gen Z), and Dr. Elsa M. Núñez (Boomer)

Susan Westphal, Abby Warren (CWHF Trustee), Diana Neeves, and Emily Deans from our Gold Sponsor, Robinson+Cole enjoying the pre-reception.

CWHF Executive Director, Sarah Lubarsky and Fiona Stewart-Jimenez, Connecticut Green Bank

CWHF Founding President Geena Clonan and Marie-Laure Kugel

Jennifer Rossi and Megan Baroni from our Gold Sponsor Robinson+Cole enjoy the pre-reception.

The Mayor of Stamford, CT Caroline Simmons (Millennial Panelist), and Tracey Alston from our Bronze Sponsor Eversource enjoy the pre-reception.

Claudia Jepsen, Johnnie Malloy from CT Public, and Karin Layton enjoy the pre-reception.

Marie-Laure Kugel with Panelists Kat Morris (Gen Z) and Dr. Anji Seth (Gen X)

Olivia Hariot, CWHF Executive Director Sarah Lubarsky, and one of our Consulting Scholars, Elizabeth Hohl.

Thank you to all of our sponsors!

CWHF Board Chair Desiree Wolfe opens the evening.

CWHF Founding President and Moderator, Geena Clonan makes her opening remarks.

Let the Conversation Begin!

Fiona Stewart-Jimenez, Senior Manager, Investments/Clean Energy Finance, Connecticut Green Bank joined the panelists for the Q&A portion of the evening.

Audience Member Ernie Paushter asks the panelists a question during Q&A.

Event Photography Courtesy of David Lubarsky Photography, LLC

Our Sponsors

Meet our Panelists

Event Gallery

Our Second Annual Generations: A Conversation Between was held on Wednesday, May 24, 2023. It was an inspirational evening of conversation bringing together four generations of women to discuss how the climate crisis affects us all. We explored how each generational viewpoint informs our overall understanding of this important issue and how our diversity can unite us in our commitment for positive change.

Watch the Conversation

Panelists

Dr. Elsa M. Núñez

President
*Eastern Connecticut State University*

In August 2022, Dr. Elsa M. Núñez began her 17th year as the president of Eastern Connecticut State University. She came to the University in 2006 following more than 20 years as a senior administrator at such institutions as City University of New York (CUNY) and the University of Maine System.

Dr. Núñez has been a tenured faculty member of English at Ramapo State College, the College of Staten Island (CUNY), and Lehman College (CUNY). She also holds a faculty position as Professor of English at Eastern.

Author of two books, “Pursuing Diversity” (1992) and “Hanging Out and Hanging On: From the Projects to the Campus” (2014), Dr. Núñez also has published numerous articles on language acquisition, diversity, and other education issues.

Dr. Núñez has firmly established Eastern’s reputation as Connecticut’s only public liberal arts university. Academic enhancements range from an increase in full-time faculty positions to the development of new majors. Under Dr. Núñez’s leadership, Eastern is ranked by U.S. News and World Report as being among the top 20 public institutions in the North Region, the most competitive region in the country. During her tenure, U.S. News has also ranked Eastern as the top public regional university in all of New England three times, as well as the #1 public regional university in New England for “Best Value.” The Princeton Review has named Eastern a “Best College” in the Northeast, as well as listed it in its “Guide to Green Colleges” 13 years in a row.

Eastern recently received its first Gold rating for sustainability by STARS—the Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System. Eastern has one of only three Gold ratings in Connecticut and is one of 138 colleges and universities nationwide to be Gold-rated by the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE).

Dr. Núñez received her B.A. from Montclair State College, her M.A. from Fairleigh Dickinson University, and her doctorate from Rutgers University.

Dr. Anji Seth

Professor and INterim Head of Geography
*University of Connecticut*

Dr. Anji Seth is Professor and Interim Head in the Department of Geography and chairs the Atmospheric Sciences Group at the University of Connecticut. Her research seeks to understand how and why climate varies, and how changes in climate are likely to evolve in the next century in particular regions. This work employs global and regional numerical climate models and has studied the climates of South America, Southern Africa, and the United States. Dr. Seth's interests include theSouth American monsoon, global monsoons and the future of climate in the Northeast US. As a senior faculty and researcher, Anji is exploring the climate problem from an integrative geographic perspective that recognizes humans as essential players in natural and living systems on earth. Dr. Seth earned a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering at Worcester Polytechnic Institute, and a PhD in Atmospheric Sciences from the University of Michigan. She has held positions as Graduate Fellow and Visiting Scientist at the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder, CO, and as Staff Scientist at the International Research Institute for Climate and Society at Columbia University.

Caroline B. Simmons

Caroline B. Simmons is the Mayor of Stamford. She was elected in 2021 with the goal of making Stamford a more equitable, inclusive, affordable, vibrant city where everyone can thrive. Her top priorities as mayor include investing in our infrastructure, advancing economic prosperity, the environment, and making government more responsive to enhance quality of life.

As a coastal community, Ms. Simmons is prioritizing sustainable solutions that protect the environment and promote environmental justice. As a State Representative, she co-sponsored green energy legislation to promote 40% renewable energy by 2030, support the Long Island Sound Blue Plan that protects precious water sources, and earn a 100% rating from the CT League of Conservation Voters on their 2019 scorecard. Some of her initiatives are:

Launching a Stamford Climate Change plan that focuses on implementing environmentally friendly and sustainable policies; becoming carbon neutral, adding more electric vehicles to our roads, and transitions to more renewable energy sources; addressing environmental injustices that contribute to poor health outcomes; and creating more green spaces in neighborhoods throughout the city.

In 2014, Caroline Simmons was elected to represent Stamford's 144th house district. She was appointed to be the chair of the Commerce Committee in her second term and successfully introduced, led debate, and helped pass over 16 bipartisan business bills on the House Floor. She is a passionate advocate for women and minority owned businesses and has helped pass legislation to provide more grants and access to capital to entrepreneurs and start ups and to support small business and job growth across CT. During her time in the legislature, she was also a member of the Higher Education and Employment and Human Services committees.

Previously, Caroline worked at Yale University at Elevate: A Policy Lab to Elevate Mental Health and Disrupt Poverty, which is based out of the Yale School of Medicine, where she focused on maternal mental health policies to help families thrive. Prior to this, she worked at the Women’s Business Development Council in Stamford where she helped provide entrepreneurial, financial, and professional development training programs for women across Connecticut.

Katharine Morris

Scholar-Activist
*for*
***Intersectional Environmentalism***

Katharine (Kat) Morris is a rad scholar-activist for intersectional environmental justice with her Master of Public Policy from the University of Connecticut. She founded UConn Collaborative Organizing (UCCO) to promote solidarity and intersectionality in social and environmental justice movements. Her TEDxUConn talk, How to Collaborate for Environmental Justice, is a call to action discussing environmental racism, health inequities, and how to organize your community using radical love and intersectionality. Kat plans to someday earn her PhD using cognitive science to strengthen collective efficacy and policy action at the intersections of environmental justice, health equity, and climate action. She seeks to travel the world in search for climate solutions to share with environmental justice communities. These days, she organizes grassroots and legislative action, writes for the CT Mirror, and speaks on various panels, podcasts, and radio shows, while serving on CT Renews and CT Climate Crisis Mobilization steering committees.

Professionally, Kat has worked for CT’s Health Equity Solutions, U.S Environmental Protection Agency as a Sustainability Fellow, she served her Helen Gurley Brown Fellowship at CEEJH, the Center for Community Engagement, Environmental Justice, and Health. Kat was appointed to the Connecticut Equity and Environmental Justice Advisory Council (CEEJAC) then served as a Governor’s Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) Advisor stationed in the Office of the Commissioner at DEEP. She also consults for the CT Institute for Resilience and Climate Adaptation. Passionate about celebrating life and practicing pleasure activism, she organizes the Seaside Sounds for Environmental Justice community empowerment festival at Seaside Park in Bridgeport. Kat runs Seaside Sounds Club, consults locally and internationally, and organizes to Save Bassick High!

Most importantly, Kat is a tree-hugging hippie, queer Pisces daughter of Jamaican immigrants whose love for nature is comparable only to her love for music, food, astrology, laughter, and learning about life through meaningful connections and long-winded conversations.

Moderator

Geena Clonan

Founding President,
Connecticut Women’s Hall of Fame

Ms. Clonan is Founding President of the Connecticut Women’s Hall of Fame, the state's premiere women’s history vault. She has spent over 30 years promoting equality through education. No longer just a feminist, but an ecofeminist; she acknowledges that her children and grandchildren are the very best reasons to confront gender equity and the climate crisis. She hopes you’ll join her.