The human consequences of unsustainable systems have very real environmental, social, economic, and political consequences. However, there are alternatives to endangered ecosystems, fractured communities, economic waste, and unresponsive government. A panel of experts will discuss the challenges and opportunities in framing a better, more sustainable future.
Can’t make it in person? Join us on Zoom! This session will also be recorded and published on our YouTube page. Register here:
https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/UhVKkSZvQi2SnBlaJo-IUg
## OUR PANEL:
### **Dr. Brandy Faulkner:**
Dr. Faulkner is a professor of Africana Studies and Political Science. Her research and teaching interests are in Race and Public Policy and U.S. Constitutional Law. She’s a multi-award winning faculty member, some of which include the College of Liberal Arts and Human Science’s Teaching Excellence Award, its Diversity Award, the university’s Edward S. Diggs Scholar Award and its Principles of Community Award. She’s a community-centered organizer who works with organizations and individuals engaged in advocacy, community leadership, and public policy development specifically at the intersections of race, poverty, and environmental justice.
### **Pete Johnson Jr.:**
Pete Johnson holds a BSEE from VMI and launched his career at an IBM Lab in the 1950s in early computer hardware and software. He has worked as a Project CEO and Designer helping organizations and neighborhoods solve information system challenges. He is a strong advocate for local energy and food self-sufficiency as the foundation of lasting Sustainability.
### **Dr. Jennifer Russell:**
Dr. Jennifer Russell is an expert in circular economy and sustainability, with a focus on material flows, loop-closing strategies, and market transformation. She is co-author of the UNEP International Resource Panel publication “Re-defining Value – The Manufacturing Revolution.” She holds a PhD from the Golisano Institute for Sustainability at RIT (2018) and an MBA from the University of Toronto (2010). Before joining the department, she taught in Bard College’s MBA in Sustainability program and spent 10 years as a sustainability consultant for multinational CPG clients in North America and Europe.
Her research focuses on circular economy systems and sustainable materials management, spanning packaging, the built environment, and practices including remanufacturing, repair, reuse, and recycling.
### **Daniel Moir:**
Our moderator for the evening, from Indivisible of Virginia Tech
———–
ABOUT THE SERIES
2026 Spring Teach-In Series: Understanding Unsustainable Systems & Developing Alternatives
“Teach-ins” have been a cornerstone of nonviolent activism since the Civil Rights Movement, and Roanoke Indivisible is extending this approach into the Roanoke and New River valleys through a four-part Education to Empowerment (E2E) series titled, Understanding Unsustainable Systems and Developing Alternatives. The events — taking place in February, March and April — delve into the impacts of authoritarian behavior on American society and help the citizenry understand wealth inequality and the social, economic and political consequences of inaction.
Each teach-in session covers a topic within the greater framework of the impact Trump is having on modern society and the wellbeing of American citizens moving forward. The speakers for the sessions are leaders in their fields and include Professor Emeritus and author Michael Santos, former Ben & Jerry’s and Stonyfield CEO Walt Freese and author and 6th District Congressional Candidate Beth Macy.