Science and Suds, Event 6

This series support student fellowships at CDLS, turning good beer and great conversation into real impact.

We believe science belongs in community spaces — not just classrooms and conferences. That’s why we’re teaming up with Los Angeles Ale Works – Culver City for Science & Suds, a new series where CDLS Fellows and members of the community make science social, accessible, and fun for an adult audience.

Join us for our sixth event on September 22 from 7 pm – 8:30 pm for engaging talks from researchers tackling big questions about our environment, our communities, and our future.

Your $5 RSVP will be matched by LA Ale Works. RSVPs aren’t required, but space is limited, and an RSVP helps us plan (and maximize the donation!).

Please note: this is a 21+ event.

Danielle Kalani Heinz

We Didn’t Start the Fire…But Did We Really Try to Fight it?

The recent fires across California and Hawaiʻi are often thought to result from a series of unfortunate events. However, history tells us a different story. In Danielle’s talk, we will time travel to the past so that she can spill the tea on the shady characters who are behind the modern fire-prone landscapes. Yet, the story is not really as much about fire as it is about water. We will dive right into the seedy underbelly of water and land mismanagement before discussing how the past is not only a cautionary tale but just might be the key to our present and future. By the end of this talk, Danielle hopes you will be asking yourself, “What does water have to do with it?” Because it really and truly has to do with everything.

Danielle Kalani Heinz is an Assistant Professor in American Indian Studies (AIS) at CSUN where they focus on Indigenous and Social Emotional Education. She is currently building out the Native Sciences program there to prepare for the launch of their AIS major. She also serves as the president of the National Pacific Islander Education Network and is a member of the Hawaiʻi’s Daughters Guild of California.

Elijah Catalan

Reimagining Conservation Ecology & Studying Human Impacts Using Environmental DNA

Environmental DNA (eDNA) is a tool researchers can use to survey which organisms may exist in an ecosystem based on the DNA that they’ve left behind in their environment, such as shed skin or hair, spit, etc. Elijah’s research uses this cutting edge tool, eDNA, to study the effects of coastal restoration efforts on biodiversity while supporting the environmental stewardship of local communities with science.

Elijah Catalan is a Ph.D. candidate at UCLA’s Institute of the Environment and Sustainability. A 2020 Howard University graduate in biology and environmental studies, he researches how restoration and conservation shape coastal biodiversity using genomic-based monitoring. Through UCLA’s CDLS, Elijah works to decolonize research and advance environmental justice, aiming for a research career that empowers communities disproportionately affected by environmental challenges.

Location

Los Angeles Ale Works – Culver City
8809 Washington Blvd, Suite 132, Culver City, CA 90232

Please note Los Angeles Ale Works has multiple venues. This event is at the Culver City location. See the image below to see where to park and how to find the entrance.