Harvard Chan NIEHS Center celebrates Director of Community Engagement Ann Backus and shares research findings at 2025 retreat
On September 19, nearly 60 of our members and their teams came together at the Arnold Arboretum for our annual retreat.
We began the day with an opening presentation from Dr. William (Ned) Friedman, Director of the Arnold Arboretum, who shared uplifting news about the opening of new arboretum entrances that now serve all local communities surrounding the arboretum and beyond. He also took us on a wonderful lunchtime walk to the arboretum’s solar meadow, which is an installation of more than 1,000 solar panels sheltering native plants, pollinators, birds, and small mammals. The solar meadow provides a safe habitat for local flora and fauna while generating renewable energy, and it can serve as a model for clean energy initiatives. Later in the morning, we heard from Center Director Dr. Marc Weisskopf on the history and future directions of the Center.
A highlight of the day was the celebration of CEC Director of Community Engagement Ann Backus, MS, who is leaving the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health after more than 30 years. Backus has been with the CEC since it was established 25 years ago and shared highlights of her work in community engagement and occupational health. Close colleagues, including CEC Director Dr. Gary Adamkiewicz, Harvard Chan Education and Research Center (ERC) Director Dr. David Christiani, and Center Member Dr. Diane Gold spoke about the impact Backus has had on her field and her students. Others who could not attend sent warm messages to share. Ann’s close collaborator and Center pilot project recipient Dr. Jane Disney of MDI Biological Laboratory wrote, “You reached out to me at a pivotal point in my work with communities and helped to launch our PFAS investigations in Maine. Now we have a publication together, new grants in the works, and we have made discoveries that are having real impacts on individual families and whole communities!”
Other retreat activities included 11 flash talks on topics ranging from water policy to the impact of heat on lung function, the launch of interdisciplinary working groups, and a session on funding opportunities. We look forward to moving forward with the working groups and other programming requested by participants!
Now more than ever, it was wonderful to have the opportunity for Center Members and their teams to come together, share their research, and enjoy a beautiful autumn day at the Arnold Arboretum.
