Cities and Universities Working Together for Sustainable Development: Reflections from Los Angeles and OECD Partners

The USC Institute on Inequalities in Global Health in partnership with the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development invites you to join us for “Cities and Universities Working Together for Sustainable Development: Reflections from Los Angeles and OECD Partners,” a hybrid discussion on Friday, February 14th at 11:30 am PST.

The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals have an end date of 2030, with amazing work happening within cities around the world to address inequalities and embed human rights in local action. This one-hour, hybrid event will bring together academics, policy makers and city officials from around the world to discuss how to embed sustainability across health, rights, climate, housing, and education initiatives.

The dialogue will be moderated by IIGH Director Sofia Gruskin. 

The discussion is hosted by the USC Institute on Inequalities in Global Health and co-organized by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.

Please join us on Friday, February 14, at 11:30 am PST at the University Park Campus or online.

Speakers:

Marka Fields is the Interim Director of the Cleveland City Planning Commission, bringing over 20 years of expertise in land use planning, zoning, architectural design review, and community development. Previously serving as an Assistant Director in Cleveland’s planning department, Ms. Fields now leads a team of 30 planners in her current role, overseeing physical development and shaping both short- and long-term plans that prioritize the health and sustainability of Cleveland’s neighborhoods. Her contributions include being a contributing author of the City of Cleveland’s comprehensive plan, Connecting Cleveland 2020, and the City’s vacant land strategy, 8 Ideas for Vacant Land Reuse in Cleveland. Both initiatives serve as vital guides for Cleveland’s development. She also chairs the Sustainable Cleveland Vital Neighborhoods group, collaborating with residents to advance sustainability initiatives across the city. Ms. Fields holds a bachelor’s degree in Political Science and a Master’s Degree in Urban Administration from Wright State University. She is an active member of her community, volunteering at Calvary Hill Church of God in Christ. 

Raffaele Trapasso is a Senior Economist at the OECD Centre for Entrepreneurship, SMEs, Regions & Cities and is currently coordinating the projects HEInnovate and The Geography of Higher Education for the OECD. He recently launched the international OECD network EECOLE (Entrepreneurship Education Collaboration and Engagement). His work focuses on collaborations, how best to formalize ties between institutions and communities, and the continuing differences between Europe and America in terms of the pattern of collaboration. Trapasso holds a PhD in Political Economy from the Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore and a Master’s degree in Economics from the Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II.

Stefano Marta is the Head of the Smart and Sustainable Cities Unit and oversees OECD work on A Territorial Approach to the SDGs, decentralised development co-operation, city-to-city partnerships, and smart cities for inclusive growth. He previously led the initiative “Adopting a Territorial Approach to Food Security and Nutrition Policy,” jointly developed by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), OECD and the United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF). He also worked on various other projects, including on urban-rural linkages in Morocco and on territorial indicators in Tunisia. Prior to joining the OECD, Marta worked at FAO on the territorial approach to food security and nutrition policy. In addition, he was part of the FAO Task Force for the formulation of the Sustainable Agriculture and Rural Development Strategy 2040 of Oman and participated in the FAO Al-Ghab Development Programme in Syria. Marta holds a PhD in Economics and Management from Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, a Master’s in Regional Development Research from Newcastle University, a postgraduate Master’s in Territorial Marketing and Local Development from Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, and a Master’s in Agricultural Science from Università degli Studi di Milano.

Erin Bromaghim is the Chief of Staff for Councilwoman Katy Yaroslavsky, Council District 5, in Los Angeles.  Most recently, she served as deputy mayor of international affairs for both Mayor Karen Bass and Mayor Eric Garcetti in the City of Los Angeles. She previously also served as the mayor’s director of olympic and paralympic development, concurrently with fellowships as the Truman Center for National Policy Senior Fellow on City and State Diplomacy, and the Hilton Foundation Fellow on the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.  Prior to joining the City of Los Angeles, Bromaghim spent 14 years as a senior civilian with the US Department of Defense, where she managed interagency defense, intelligence, special operations, and security reform efforts. Bromaghim entered federal civil service as a presidential management fellow with the US Navy, later working for the US Air Force, the Office of the Secretary of Defense, and NATO. She holds degrees from Wake Forest University and Georgetown University, as well as a certificate in advanced project management from Stanford University.

Moderator:

Sofia Gruskin directs the USC Institute on Inequalities in Global Health (IIGH). She is USC Distinguished Professor of Population, Public Health Sciences & Law, Professor of Preventive Medicine and Chief of the Disease Prevention, Policy and Global Health Division at the Keck School of Medicine, and Professor of Law and Preventive Medicine at the Gould School of Law. A pioneer in bringing together multidisciplinary approaches to global health, her work — which ranges from global policy to the grassroots level — has been instrumental in developing the conceptual, methodological and empirical links between health and human rights. She currently sits on numerous international boards and committees including the PEPFAR Scientific Advisory Board, the Lancet Commission on Gender and Global Health, the IUSSP Steering Committee to Strengthen Civil Registration and Vital Statistics Systems, and the Lancet Commission on Health and Human Rights. She has published extensively, including several books, training manuals and edited journal volumes, and more than 200 articles and chapters.