Apr 22
Ragtag Cinema Columbia, MO
TicketsDr. Jennifer First, PhD, MSW
Assistant Professor in the College of Health Sciences, University of Missouri—Columbia
Do the Right Thing— It's getting hot in here: How extreme heat, health and inequity intersect
Program Description
Extreme heat is the deadliest weather-related hazard in the U.S., yet its impacts often remain invisible, accumulating quietly in emergency rooms, hospitalizations, and stressed bodies. While everyone is affected by rising temperatures, the burden on health and well-being is unequally distributed. Drawing on research from the Midwest and Southeast U.S., Dr. First will discuss the intersection of heat exposure, social vulnerability, and adaptive capacity, grounded in the lived experiences of communities on the frontlines of climate change. This presentation asks: Who gets protected, and who is left to suffer during climate and weather extremes? And how do we build community systems that truly serve everyone—especially those most impacted?
Film Synopsis
On the hottest day of the year on a street in the Bedford-Stuyvesant section of Brooklyn, everyone's hate and bigotry smolders and builds until it explodes into violence.
Salvatore "Sal" Fragione (Danny Aiello) is the Italian owner of a pizzeria in Brooklyn. A neighborhood local, Buggin' Out (Giancarlo Esposito), becomes upset when he sees that the pizzeria's Wall of Fame exhibits only Italian actors. Buggin' Out believes a pizzeria in a black neighborhood should showcase black actors, but Sal disagrees. The wall becomes a symbol of racism and hate to Buggin' Out and to other people in the neighborhood, and tensions rise.
Photo credit: MCA/Universal Pictures
About the Speaker
Dr. Jen First, PhD, MSW is an Assistant Professor in the College of Health Sciences at the University of Missouri, Columbia, MO. Her research examines the unequal health impacts of climate and extreme weather events on low-income and marginalized communities. Her work is grounded in environmental health and justice frameworks and integrates physical, natural, and social science research with community member engagement. Her research has been supported by funders such as the National Science Foundation (NSF), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), and the National Integrated Heat Health Information Systems (NIHHIS).
Beyond research, Jen teaches classes at the University of Missouri in the School of Social Work on various topics such as social and environmental justice, clinical engagement strategies, and social science research methods. In her spare time when she’s not researching “weird weather” impacts, she enjoys attending weird music shows.