Dr. Robert Bullard delivered a captivating Keynote speech at the 2026 Villanova Sustainability Conference in Rome, Italy. His presentation, titled: Building Healthy, Sustainable and Livable Communities in the Era of Climate Change: Why Justice Matters set the tone for the week- long event by offering an evocative reflection on the history of the environmental justice (EJ) movement. Notably, Dr. Bullard highlighted the significant role Historically Black Colleges and Universities played in establishing the first five (5) EJ Centers.

Reaffirming a core tenet of the environmental justice principles, Dr. Bullard accentuated that “people who are most impacted by environmental pollution and environmental degradation must be in the room when decisions are being made, and have access to resources such as science, data, research and facts, to combat such issues. Powerful GIS mapping and data visualization illustrated chronicled his (more than) 40 years of work in the field. Dr. Bullard concluded with an engaging Q&A session and remained active throughout the conference, attending panel discussions, tours, lighting round presentations, and poster sessions.

Associate Director, Dr. Denae King, also presented during the Sustainability Conference’s poster section on Climate Justice and Resilience in the Gulf Coast.  Her research examined how climate-related disasters in the U.S. Gulf Coast region create challenges for communities navigating recovery and long-term adaption. Additionally, the presentation exhibited how collaborative academic-community partnerships have proven valuable in advancing understanding of environmental health and climate impacts among vulnerable Gulf Coast populations affected by both natural and man-made disasters.

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