Heartwoo‪d‬ Yale University

Dr. Robert K. Perkins holds a PhD in Sociology at Norfolk State University. His areas of specialization include Urban Studies, Inequality, Social Organizations, and Socio-Cybersecurity. On this episode, Dr. Perkins and Dr. Easley draw links with one another about being Black in Academia, about navigating a society dominated by capitalistic principles and inequitable resource allocation, … Continue reading “Playing by the Rules” (or not) as a Black Man in Academia and Society: Dr. Robert K. Perkins, PhD in Sociology at Norfolk State University →

Chris Webby is an American rapper from Norwalk, Connecticut. Chris Webby has released many mixtapes such as the DJ Drama-hosted Bars On Me (2012) and his EP There Goes the Neighborhood (2011), which peaked at number 101 on the Billboard 200. He has worked with various artists such as Freeway, Mac Miller, Joell Ortiz, Big … Continue reading Chris Webby: Connecticut’s homegrown star isn’t afraid to lean into environmental activism →

John Francis was in his twenties when a 1971 oil spill in San Francisco Bay jarred his comfortable life. Even as he joined the volunteers who scrubbed the beaches and fought to save birds and sea creatures poisoned by petroleum, he felt the need to make a deeper, more personal commitment. As an affirmation of … Continue reading Dr. John Francis, “The Planetwalker,” on how we treat one another is how we treat the environment: →

On this episode, Dr. Jennifer L. Verdolin returns to Heartwood, this time in the era of COVID-19. Dr. Verdolin is an Assistant Professor at the University of Arizona and an expert in animal behavior. The author of two books, including Wild Connection: What Animal Courtship and Mating Tell Us About Human Relationships and Raised by … Continue reading Return of Dr. Verdolin: An Animal Biologist on how Animal Behaviors and Social Distancing are Interconnected →

Allison Mathews is Associate Director of Integrating Special Populations at Maya Angelou Center for Health Equity. Her research interests include community engagement, the sociology of race and ethnicity, gender and sexuality, religion, HIV/AIDS, and social psychology. Her current research examines the use of crowdsourcing theory to implement community engagement activities aimed at facilitating discussion about … Continue reading The Convergence of the Built Environment, Racial Equity, and Public Health: A Conservation with Dr. Allison Mathews →

Marcelo Bonta was originally trained as a conservation biologist, and ended up shifting his career focus from biodiversity to people diversity after finding himself as the sole programmatic person of color at a national conservation organization. That experience was so bad that he didn’t want anything to do with the environmental movement ever again. However, … Continue reading “We can’t protect the environment until we get DEI right.” – Marcelo Bonta of J.E.D.I. Heart →