Center for Latin American and Latinx Studies CLALSES
English Lecture (HYBRID): 10:15am in Hayden Hall Room 360 (3320 Smith Walk) or on Zoom
Spanish Lecture: 3:30pm in the David Rittenhouse Laboratory Room 3C8 (209 South 33rd Street)
In this CLALSES organized by Professor of Spanish Teresa Giménez for the course Latinx Environmental Justice, Carlos Claussell Velez from the World Wildlife Fund will present "Environmental and Climate Justice driving Community Benefits: A reflection on community-centered strategies from Puerto Rico, Philadelphia, and Continental U.S."
RSVP HERE to attend by Zoom
Presenter Bio:
Carlos Claussell Velez (he/his/el) is a climate change and environmental professional with over 10 years of experience driving equity and community-centered processes and working with community-based organizations, non-profits, government and philanthropic entities committed to advancing climate justice and equity strategies at the local, state and national level. He currently serves as the Climate and Environmental Justice Manager for the World Wildlife Fund focusing on advancing equitable strategies for the America is All In and Renewable Thermal Collaborative (RTC). Carlos also serves as Vice-Chair for the City of Philadelphia’s Inaugural Environmental Justice Advisory Commission (PEJAC), tasked with advising the Mayor, City Council and Office of Sustainability on environmental justice issues and advocating for environmental justice communities in the City. Carlos is a 2022 Climate Justice Design Fellow from Harvard University, 2022 Clean Energy Leadership Institute (CELI) fellow, a 2020 Environmental Leadership Program Senior Fellow, and a Board Member with PennFuture, the state’s environmental watchdog, and Taller Puertorriqueño, a community-based cultural organization that uses art to promote development within the Puerto Rican community and the Latino Diaspora in the Greater Philadelphia region.
Prior to joining WWF, Carlos worked as a Senior Program Officer at the Institute for Sustainable Communities (ISC), serving as the National Program Office Lead for The Kresge Foundation Climate Change, Health & Equity Initiative (CCHE), as the Urban Conservation Project Manager for The Nature Conservancy (TNC) North America’s Cities Network tasked with supporting the implementation of Philadelphia's Green City Clean Waters Plan, and as the Urbanism & Infrastructure Project Manager for the Caño Martin Peña ENLACE Project Corporation, an internationally renowned community-led initiative and winner of the 2016 United Nations World Habitat Award. Carlos holds a master’s degree in architecture and a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from the University of Puerto Rico.