We are excited to share that Samarys Seguinot Medina will be our second keynote speaker for IMPACT 2024!
Samarys (also known as Sama or by her given Siberian Yupik name, Umyuugalek) is the Environmental Health Director for Alaska Community Action on Toxics (ACAT), an organization with the mission of empowering communities to eliminate exposure to toxics through collaborative research, shared science, education, organizing, and advocacy. Sama is instrumental in supporting environmental justice efforts for Alaska Native people and other BIPOC communities by working tirelessly to eliminate the production and use of the most harmful chemicals in the globe.
Sama grew up with a deep sense of justice and a strong connection to her land. As soon as she started college, she understood that she needed to do more than read books. As a youth environmental leader, she learned that the knowledge gained in school is a tool to be used for the benefit of collective action and justice. Knowledge should be used to make meaningful change to protect the natural world, people’s health and wellbeing!
Sama has more than 25 years of experience in environmental justice advocacy; decolonization efforts in Borikén, the Caribbean and Alaska; climate justice and reproductive justice work, more than 14 years of leading community-based participatory research efforts in Alaska and the Arctic; environmental health education, science translation, international work and just transition promoter.
Learn more about Alaska Community Action on Toxics and make plans to attend Sama’s keynote address at IMPACT 2024!