The Dimensions of Political Ecology Conference (DOPE) is organized and hosted entirely by an interdisciplinary group of graduate and undergraduate students at the University of Kentucky. Since its inception in 2010, this student-organized conference has become one of the largest, most highly regarded international forums for critical discussions at the intersection of ecology, political economy, and science studies. DOPE 2020 welcomes Dr. Alaka Wali, Dr. Diana Ojeda, Dr. Justin Dunnavant, Dr. Macarena Gómez-Barris, and Dr. Rebecca Elmhirst as our speakers, along with many professors, graduate students, and undergraduate students. The DOPE Conference offers a platform for both established and emerging scholars to present research and engage in political ecology scholarship. Registration is free for UK graduate and undergraduate students! Register here!

Date: Oct 8, 2019 (Tuesday)

Light Lunch Reception: 11:15am-12:15pm, Multipurpose Room, WTY Library

Panel: 12:30-1:45pm, UKAA Auditorium, WTY Library

Evening Reception: 5-7pm, Lyric Theater 

As part of the Year of Equity programming, this panel brings together organizers, activists, and healthcare providers from national organizations red states to discuss challenges, approaches, and perspectives in advancing reproductive justice. Centering on the experiences and leadership of women, trans, and non-binary people of color, this panel will present latest community research, initiatives, and advocacy on reproductive justice.

Panelists, in alphabetical order, include: 

• Kelli Goode, Trans rights activist, artist, and cultural writer
• Dr. Nikia Grayson, Director of Midwifery Services, CHOICES
• Oriaku Njoku, Executive Director and Co-founder, Access Reproductive Care-Southeast
• Jessica Roach, Executive Director and Founder, ROOTT  
• Cherisse Scott, CEO and Founder, SisterReach
• Ondine Quinn, MSW, Sexuality Educator and Board Treasurer, Kentucky Health Justice Network

In addition to the Year of Equity, this event is co-sponsored by the departments of Anthropology, Gender and Women Studies, Sociology, and Writing, Rhetoric, and Digital Studies; the Office of LGBTQ* Resources, the Center for Health Equity Transformation, the Center for Equality and Social Justice, Building Interdisciplinary Research Careers in Women's Health, the National Advocates for Pregnant Women, and Kentucky Health Justice Network. 

Ecological practices of daily life have taken on new urgency and approaches as consumer citizens increasingly voice awareness of environmental sustainability in China. This lecture will focus on "everyday ecologies"--personal engagement with social and material worlds to negotiate well-being. 

Professor Nancy Chen is Chair of the Anthropology Department and an affiliate of East Asian Studies and Feminist Studies at UC/Santa Cruz. Her research interests include Chinese biotechnology, food and medicine, and alternative healing practices. She is author or editor of six books, including China Urban. 

Sponsored by the Department of Anthropology and the UK Confucius Institute. 

Dr. Jeffrey Mantz will go through the basics of NSF applications, talk about specific programs, and give some general grant writing advice. Mantz is Program Director in Cultural Anthropology and Human Subjects Research Officer at the National Science Foundation, where he has served since 2012. He holds a PhD in Anthropology from the University of Chicago and has previously taught at George Mason University, Cornell University, California State University at Stanislaus, and Vassar College. His own research takes him to the Caribbean and Central Africa, where he explores issues related to inequality, resource extraction, and commodity supply chains.