
About Emily Pinckney, keynote speaker

Emily Pinckney attended Humboldt State University and Duke University and graduated with a degree in Marine Biology and Conservation, and a degree in Wildlife Management. In her academic career, she has done research at the University of Texas Marine Science Institute, Fordham University: Louis Calder Ecological Institute, and the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute: Bocas Del Toro. Her areas of study included phycology, human impacts on marine environments, sensory physiology of marine animals, and how climate change is tightly tied to systems of subjugation and oppression.
Emily’s experiences as a queer black woman scientist led her to focus her efforts on educating equity in STEM as well as educate under-served communities on how to navigate around systemic barriers to community-based decision making, particularly within environmental spaces. She has worked in wildlife spaces such as Seattle Aquarium and Point Defiance zoo and aquarium. Emily is the former executive director of 500 Women Scientists, a social justice focused science organization that supports underrepresented folks in STEM. She uses science and community organizing to make policy more equitable and inclusive. She currently serves on Governor Inslee’s Environmental Justice task Force, the Sustainable Tacoma Commission, and the WA Build Back Black Alliance.
About Destiny Dunbar, facilitator

Born in Arkansas and raised across seven states, Destiny has a deep appreciation for the variety of natural landscapes and rich cultures that exist in the U.S. She has lived in Bellingham for nearly five years and holds a B.A. in environmental policy and natural hazards risk reduction from Western Washington University. She works for a local environmental advocacy nonprofit, bringing the perspective that liberation is found in the intersections of social and environmental justice. She also loves to read, dance, and create art.
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