SEAS Events

A Relay, Not a Sprint: Intergenerational Perspectives on Environmental Justice & Resilience

Thursday, Jan. 22
5:30-6:30 p.m., reception to follow
Rackham Amphitheatre

This event will also be live-streamed via this link.

The University of Michigan School for Environment and Sustainability’s Office of Community Impact and Engagement invites you to a meaningful fireside chat in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day. This intergenerational and interdisciplinary chat offers a unique opportunity to learn from inspiring changemakers at different milestones in their careers, and to explore how previous generations have shaped the environmental justice movement, the challenges and opportunities we face today, and how we can commit to transforming our world into a just place for all.

Featured Speakers

• Nayomi Cawthorne (MS/MPH ’27), SEAS Office of Community Impact & Engagement graduate student staff assistant, moderator
• Donna Givens Davidson, president and CEO, Eastside Community Network
• Madeline Miller (PhD ’25), founder and CEO, NexTiles
• Karina Yang (BS ’26), U-M student in the Program in the Environment and Biology, Health, and Society

Speaker Bios

Nayomi Cawthorne (MS/MPH '27), moderator

Nayomi Cawthorne (MS/MPH '27) is an emerging public health and sustainability practitioner working at the intersection of environmental justice, community wellbeing, and food sovereignty. She is currently pursuing dual MPH/MS degrees at the University of Michigan—in Health Behavior & Health Equity at the School of Public Health and Sustainability & Development at the School for Environment and Sustainability—where her work bridges qualitative research, community-centered program design, and systems-level change.

Rooted in years of hands-on experience in regenerative agriculture and community development across Detroit, the Middle East, and Central America, Nayomi brings a grounded, global perspective to her practice. She co-founded Catalyst Strategy Group and previously served as Director of the Stoudamire Wellness Hub at Eastside Community Network. Her agricultural experience includes managing vegetable, flower, and herb production on farms ranging from one to seven acres.

Nayomi also contributes to cancer equity research with Henry Ford Health and serves on the governing board of Development in Gardening (DIG). Her work is guided by a commitment to equity, cross-cultural collaboration, community autonomy, and the belief that sustainable solutions must be designed in partnership with the communities most impacted.

Donna Givens Davidson

Donna Givens Davidson has over 40 years of leadership experience in areas of youth and family development, community economic development, community partnerships, and community education. Now serving as President and CEO of Eastside Community Network, as well as lecturer at Columbia University, Ms. Givens Davidson has led several organizations. She sits on several boards and steering committees for local and national organizations and was recently appointed to serve as the co-chair for the housing development & planning committee on Mary Sheffield's, the newly elected mayor of Detroit, transition team. Ms. Givens Davidson also hosts a weekly podcast, Authentically Detroit.

Ms. Givens Davidson has earned a Masters of Ed Leadership from Wayne State University, Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from the University of Michigan, and a Certificate of Completion from the Harvard University Summer Leadership Institute. 

Madeline Walker Miller (PhD '25)

Madeline Walker Miller (PhD '25) is the Founder and CEO of NexTiles, a Detroit-based textile recycling company that converts textile waste into building insulation and other eco-friendly products. Her professional background focuses on reducing textile waste and its harmful impacts on our natural environment.

She is an alumna of Spelman College and earned a master’s degree in Marine Ecosystems from the University of Miami’s Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science. Dr. Miller’s passion lies in empowering young Black people and people of color to embrace environmentally sustainable behaviors. She earned her PhD in Environment and Sustainability from the University of Michigan School for Environment and Sustainability (SEAS), where she studied in the Urban Energy Justice Lab.

Miller serves on the boards of the GreenHome Institute and the Ecology Center. She is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated. In her spare time, she enjoys family outings and time with her dog, Allie.

Karina Yang (BS '26)

Karina Yang (BS '26) is a fourth-year undergraduate student at the University of Michigan pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Program in the Environment (PitE) and Biology, Health, and Society, with a minor in Energy Science & Policy. She is passionate about advancing environmental health, public policy, and promoting climate resiliency through equitable, community-focused solutions. Karina is a 2025 Scholar with the Yale Conservation Scholars-Early Leadership Initiative (ELI), a program that supports emerging leaders in the environmental field. Through YCS-ELI, she has strengthened her commitment to environmental justice and equity-centered work. She also recently interned with the City of Baltimore Office of Sustainability, where she streamlined resources for the Sustainability & Resiliency Subcabinet and developed public-facing data visualizations to communicate Baltimore's progress towards climate goals. On campus, Karina is a Peer Mentor for the Program in the Environment (PitE) and actively engages in sustainability initiatives through the Graham Sustainability Scholars Program and other extracurriculars. She looks forward to contributing her experiences and student perspective to discussions on environmental justice and resilience.

In the spirit of sustainability, please RSVP so that we can get an accurate food count.