What Else Is Possible Speakers
Eli Andrews — Eli is the co-founder and CEO of civicIQ, a nonprofit digital communications firm on a mission to power America’s future with clean energy. Through educational campaigns, they are working on a national narrative re-grounding project, which is the disciplined process of helping people make sense of the world again through exposure to accurate, resonant, and verifiable information. Rather than persuading or converting, it invites people to step out of misinformed media loops and re-engage their own critical thinking. They have more than 200,000 subscribers in their growing network who have signed up to learn more about renewable energy. Eli’s passion for transforming how we power our lives is driven by the next generation—our kids—and all we can still protect from climate change for them and those who follow. When he is not busy with his civicIQ team, you’ll find him running the fire trails of central Pennsylvania, snowboarding with his family, or teaching a graduate course on sustainability and strategic leadership at Penn State’s business school. Eli will serve as a post-film panelist for Merchants of Doubt.
Dr. Carla Lima Aranzaes — Carla Lima Aranzaes is an Assistant Professor for the School of Labor and Employment Relations at Penn State. She completed her Ph.D. in Human Resources and Labor Relations at the School of Human Resources and Labor Relations at Michigan State University. She holds a Master’s in Organizational Psychology (Mexico) and a Bachelor’s in Business Administration (Bolivia). Carla Lima Aranzaes’ research focuses on collective action, collective voice, leadership, social networks, solidarity, intersectionality, and workers well-being throughout the different stages of the unionization process and collective bargaining that workers must undergo to improve their working conditions and gain or maintain a collective voice. Her research utilizes both quantitative and qualitative methodologies as analytical tools. Carla Lima Aranzaes has conducted in-depth fieldwork in Bessemer, Alabama, and Garner, North Carolina, as part of a nationwide research project examining the working conditions at Amazon warehouses. Carla served as a post-film panelist for Union.
Destiny Blackwell — Destiny Blackwell is an organizer of C.A.U.S.E (Carolina Amazonians United for Solidarity and Empowerment) Steering Committee in Garner, North Carolina. Destiny has collaborated on research with Carla Lima Aranzaes about Amazon’s working conditions in Garner, North Carolina. She served as a post-film panelist for Union.
Matt Jordan — Matt Jordan is head of the Department of Film Production and Media Studies in the Donald P. Bellisario College of Communications at Penn State University. He is director of Penn State’s News Literacy Initiative for which he hosts the podcast News Over Noise. He writes and teaches about how today’s media systems have been altered by digital technology and what it means for democracy. He was a double major in history and English at Allegheny College, and earned an M.A. from Drew University in modern European intellectual history. His doctorate, from Claremont Graduate University, is in European Studies. Matt will serve as a post-film panelist for the film Merchants of Doubt.
Alexandra Piper — Alexandra Piper was the leading organizer of the first Whole Foods union to be established, which was in Philadelphia. Piper served as a post-film panelist for Union.
Erin Raupers — Erin Raupers is a Penn State Alumna from the College of Health and Human Development. Erin received her Master’s in Exercise Science in the School of Public Health from George Washington University. Erin has worked in the fitness industry for over 20 years, is a certified personal trainer and group fitness instructor. She worked in corporate wellness for 3 years, collegiate recreation for 2 years, and has been serving as the assistant director in Health Promotion and Wellness at Penn State for over 11 years. Erin co-leads the Penn State Nature and Art Rx committee where she leads efforts to expand impactful nature and art initiatives. Erin recently completed the year-long Campus Nature Rx Academy certificate, which means Penn State is now certified to design initiatives to improve mental health and students’ overall well-being through nature engagement. Erin served as a post-film panelist for the “Connecting to Nature” Shorts Program.
Dr. Janet Swim — Dr. Janet Swim is a professor of Psychology at The Pennsylvania State University. She received her B.A. in Women’s Studies and Psychology from Hope College in 1983 and Ph.D. in Social Psychology from the University of Minnesota in 1988. She served as chair of the first Psychological Association (APA) task force on Psychology and Climate Change and represented the APA Board of Scientific affairs on a follow-up task force. She was president of the Society for Environmental, Population, and Conservation Psychology, She served on the APA council representing the Society for Personality and Social Psychology (SPSP), served as a council member of the Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues (SPSSI), and APA’s Board of Scientific Affairs. She has worked with the United Nations to include psychological research in the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change review of research. She received several APA Presidential citations for her work on Psychology and Climate change and received a distinguished service award from SPSSI. She is currently serving as associate director of the Penn State Climate Consortium. She is also a fellow at the Social Science Research Institute to facilitate research Social Dynamics of Environmental and Climate Change. Janet will serve as a post-film panelist for Merchants of Doubt.
Aubrey Tallon — Aubrey Tallon (they/them) joined the Arboretum at Penn State staff in fall of 2023. They hold a dual-title M.S. in recreation, park, and tourism management and human dimensions of natural resources and the environment from Penn State. Since 2018, they have played a variety of roles in the outdoor education and recreation field, primarily in childhood environmental education and research management. Aubrey feels strongly that outdoor experiences should be rooted in equity, and in their spare time has pioneered the Lavender Scouts program — a scouting program hosted by Millbrook Marsh Nature Center that serves local LGBTQIA+ youth and provides them with scouting experiences in a queer-friendly space. They served as a post-film panelist for “Connecting to Nature” Short Film Program
Mase Veney — Mase Veney was the leading organizer of the first Whole Foods union to be established, which was in Philadelphia. He has worked for more than three years in his store’s produce department. Mase served as a post-film panelist for Union.
