Expo '74: 50 years of Environmental Justice in the Inland Northwest, Welcome Remarks

Date of Event

4-12-2024

Description

In celebration of the fiftieth anniversary of Expo '74, the Gonzaga Climate Institute—in collaboration with the US Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Washington, the Washington State Attorney General, and the Gonzaga Law School Center for Law, Ethics, and Commerce—hosted a one day conference at Gonzaga looking retrospectively at the environmental justice work done over this half century and what work remains to be done in the coming decades.

Part 1, Welcome Remarks, opening speakers Jacob Rooksby and Vanessa R. Waldref, and welcome from Climate Institute Director Brian G. Henning.

Jacob Rooksby has served as Dean of Gonzaga University School of Law since 2018, focusing his attention on enhancing the school's enrollment and diversity, solidifying its financial footing, rebuilding its physical footprint, revamping its curriculum, and expanding its reach in the community and region. He is the author of a book on intellectual property law and policy issues in higher education and is an expert on IP law, higher education law, and technology transfer. In addition to being a member of the bar of the Supreme Court of the United States, he holds an active law license in Washington state, where is affiliated with an IP law boutique, FIG. 1 Patents, PLLC. Rooksby is an elected member of the American Law Institute and a Fellow of the American Bar Foundation, two of the profession's highest honors. He holds a J.D., M.Ed., and Ph.D. from the University of Virginia, and an A.B., summa cum laude, from the College of William & Mary, where he majored in Hispanic Studies and was inducted into Phi Beta Kappa. He lives in Spokane with his wife, three girls under the age of 12, and dog and cat. A lover of the outdoors and the trails and lakes of the Pacific Northwest, Rooksby has summited the highest point of elevation in 44 of the lower 48 states.

Dr. Henning is Professor of Philosophy and of Environmental Studies at Gonzaga University and is the inaugural director and founder of the Gonzaga Institute for Climate, Water, and the Environment.

Vanessa R. Waldref became the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington on October 7, 2021. U.S. Attorney Waldref was nominated by President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. on July 26, 2021, and was unanimously confirmed by the Senate on September 30, 2021. Ms. Waldref is responsible for overseeing the prosecution of any federal criminal case brought within the 20 counties of Eastern Washington. The Office also represents the United States in all civil matters brought within this territory. Ms. Waldref is from Spokane with deep roots in Eastern Washington. Ms. Waldref served as an Assistant United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington from 2013 to 2020, handling a wide variety of civil and criminal cases. Most recently, U.S. Attorney Waldref served as a Trial Attorney with the Environment and Natural Resources Division of the United States Department of Justice where she litigated cases in federal courts around the country arising under a range of environmental protection statutes. Since 2015, Ms. Waldref has taught courses in Environmental Law, Labor & Employment Law, and Conflict of Laws at Gonzaga University School of Law. After graduating from Gonzaga Preparatory School in Spokane, WA, U.S. Attorney Waldref received her B.A., magna cum laude, from Georgetown University in 2002, and her J.D., magna cum laude, from Georgetown University in 2008.

Loading...

Media is loading
 
Additional Documents
Climate_(Part 1 of 4) Expo '74_transcript.txt (48 kB)

Copyright Information

All rights reserved.

This document is currently not available here.

Share

COinS