The symposium will bring together researchers, educators, students, policymakers, and other stakeholders to engage in a collaborative discussion that addresses challenges in urban sustainability. Students and faculty will exhibit poster presentations on their research in the field of urban sustainability.

Caryn has advised researchers, philanthropy, investors, and government agencies on watershed restoration and water resiliency strategies for 15 years. Most recently, she directed the Water Program at the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation, which was dedicated to supporting 21st Century water management policies that protect source waters, green infrastructure, and advances to the human right to clean, affordable, drinking water. She worked closely with advocates to implement California’s first-ever groundwater regulations. She contributed to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s revised Lead & Copper Rule to the Safe Drinking Water Act requiring water agencies to expedite the replacement of lead service lines. She helped launch an expansive water efficiency workforce training program in Los Angeles. Her leadership was recognized by Administrator McCarthy of the U.S.E.P.A. and L.A.’s Department of Water & Power for breakthroughs in innovative urban water use. Caryn is a graduate of UC Berkeley as well as UCLA’s School of Law and Urban Planning program.

Mr. Berwynson R. Salazar has more than 15 years of extensive project management experience on environmental compliance, capital projects construction support, site investigation/remediation, hazardous materials/waste management, climate adaptation, sustainability, and resiliency. He is a certified sustainability manager (CSM), Envision Sustainability Professional (ENV SP), a Green Building Professional (GPRO) Certified Trainer, LEED Green Associate, and has completed several specialized trainings in the sustainability and resiliency space.

Avideh is a Registered Architect and a Living Future Accredited professional dedicated to creating a regenerative built environment through her role as a designer and A/E/C industry advocate.  She received her Bachelor of Architecture from Woodbury University in 2011 and since then has been driven to transform the built environment towards a net-positive impact.  She has a diverse portfolio of work spanning public and private sectors, including public schools, mixed use residential and institutional.  As an architect and sustainability specialist at ZGF architects, she advises clients on global sustainability goals and real estate strategy, and works with design and consultant teams to identify unique opportunities in every project to create high performance buildings.

People carry many cultural and social factors with them as they travel, which makes the project of transitioning to sustainable transportation cultural as well as physical. Dr. Lugo will share examples from her work on "human infrastructure" with advocates for mobility justice in Los Angeles and around the United States.

Sara Neff is Senior Vice President, Sustainability at Kilroy Realty  Corporation. Sara took Kilroy from having no sustainability program to being named the #1 publicly traded real estate company on sustainability in North America by GRESB, and under her leadership, the company recently committed to becoming the first carbon-neutral real estate company in North America by the end of 2020.

Rebecca works with County departments, community organizations, local jurisdictions, and other stakeholders to help implement the OurCounty regional sustainability plan. Before joining LA County, Rebecca worked as a green building consultant in Los Angeles and as Scheduler to the Chair at the White House Council on Environmental Quality in Washington, DC. Rebecca holds Master’s degrees in Urban Planning and Public Health from UCLA.

Qiang Li is an infrastructure solution engineer at Cemex, where Qiang provides technical support to contractors, engineering firms, and government agencies on pavement solutions and concrete materials. Qiang received his Ph.D. degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Florida. He is a licensed Professional Engineer in several states and has more than 10 years of experience in Pavement Engineering, Geotechnical Engineering, Construction Materials, and Instrumentation.

Gary Lai is an accomplished landscape architect and thought leader in sustainability, resiliency and conservation. Gary leverages three decades of design and planning experience to steer large, complex projects to successful completion. His interest in drawing and environmentalism led him to a field that he describes as the ‘architecture of living things’ with an immense potential to impact quality of life for future generations.