GRC: One Health Approaches to Urbanization, Water, and Food Security

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The Urbanization, Water and Food Security Gordon Research Conference (GRC) is a new globally focused and interdisciplinary conference first established in 2019. It aims to bring together scientists working at the intersections of public health, engineering, food systems, environmental science, and ecology. In 2023, the conference theme is One Health, making this an ideal forum for health-focused scientists to meet researchers outside their fields of study to intensively network and grapple with critical challenges to sustainable development and population health. We will discuss how global trends in urbanization can exacerbate ongoing climate change, food system dynamics, and environmental contamination. The conference will provide a rich forum for junior and senior scientists to spark new collaborations. Our draft conference program emphasizes the contributions of junior scientists; the current list of confirmed speakers includes 39% junior researchers and 48% women. However, we would like to improve our ability to attract and retain conference attendees and speakers who are under-represented minorities (URM); our current list of speakers is 8% URM. In order to grow this cohort, conference funding is sought to financially support the participation of junior researchers (students, postdocs, and faculty), women, and under-represented scholars. This meeting will introduce them to a global community of researchers and include their voices in discussions of these critical dimensions of ongoing societal and environmental change. This diverse cohort will subsequently become the speakers and discussion facilitators of later meeting. Efforts will be made to create an inclusive, supportive, and accessible conference. The success of this second convening of the Urbanization GRC will also allow us to petition the GRC organization to add a Gordon Research Seminar (GRS) to the 2025 meeting. The GRS is a popular pre- meeting that showcases the work of students and postdocs and allows them to take a leadership role in organizing and presenting their science prior to the GRC.