Returning the pillar to Yasuni | Sofia Hoffman | TEDxPSU

Описание: Indigenous communities in the Amazon have more being extracted from them than oil - research is too. Extractive research, using communities to get publishable results and then maintaining no further relationship, hurts the communities this research should benefit. Sofia Hoffman discusses a different approach: working collaboratively with indigenous groups to fulfill their needs and improve research outcomes. Sofia Hoffman is a fourth-year Millennium and Schreyer Scholar at the Pennsylvania State University, studying Environmental Systems Engineering. She is interested in the intersection of public health and environmental engineering and hopes to use her work to empower community relationships. Her research focuses on participatory mapping and environmental assessment of total petroleum hydrocarbons and per- and polyfluoroalkyl substance exposure in Indigenous communities in the Ecuadorian Amazon. Sofia serves as President of the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers, the largest Latino organization on campus, and mentors students through the Multicultural Engineering and Millennium Scholars Program. At her core, she believes in the power of community and connection. She approaches both her work and life with curiosity, always eager to learn from others and find ways to make a meaningful impact. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx