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Home / Blogs / Celebrating Three Years of the HBCU/MSI Chesapeake Bay Summit
October 6, 2025
Participants at the 2025 HBCU/MSI Chesapeake Bay Summit from five of the Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) in Maryland and DC, as well as Trinity Washington University, the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, and Prince George’s County Community College, which are Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs) in Maryland and DC.
On September 13th and 14th, the Alliance hosted 90 students and 10 faculty members from universities across Maryland and Washington, DC at the 3rd Annual HBCU/MSI Chesapeake Bay Summit. Students and faculty members brought expertise and passion for an array of academic backgrounds, including biology, environmental science, business, and creative studies. Each attendee joined together at NorthBay Outdoor Education Center to further their professional development and connect through their love for the environment.
Every year, the Summit establishes three major goals. This year’s goals were:
Over the course of the jam-packed, two-day Summit, students and faculty members engaged with nearly 20 incredible speakers, shared their expertise and experiences in facilitated discussions, and connected with the Bay through guided, outdoor experiences.
Dr. Samia Rab Kirchner (far left), Carrie Decker (middle-left), Dennis Chesnut (middle-right) serve on the Summit’s Climate Resilience in the Chesapeake Panel, sharing their professional experiences and personal outlooks on the topic. Joy Jackson (far right), from the Institute for Conservation Leadership, provides skillful facilitation of this session.
On the first day of the 2025 Summit, 19 speakers met and spoke with the students in lectures, group talks, and smaller sessions. These sessions were designed to help students learn more about the environmental industry and explore different career paths in the field.
The speakers came from many areas of the environmental world and shared their personal stories and lessons from their work. They talked about the wide range of jobs available in the industry, from research to green business to conservation.
Carmen Tucker from GreenVest Inc. gave a talk on ecosystem restoration, explaining how damaged natural areas can be repaired and protected. Daren Hays II, from Lake Country Soil & Water Conservation District, spoke about environmental policy and how local governments manage and protect natural resources.
These phenomenal speakers helped students see the many ways they can make a difference in the environmental field. These sessions also highlighted how the connection of different areas of work are crucial in solving today’s environmental problems.
During the Student Lightning Talks portion of the Summit, students give brief presentations about professional experiences and/or environmental topics of interest. Here, Christopher Iweriebor from the University of the District of Columbia shares his research on Urban Foodways in the nation’s capital.
One of the primary goals of the Summit was to give universities a chance to learn from each other. To achieve this, the Summit included opportunities for students to talk about their own work in the environmental field. Students shared their work through short talks and an art showcase.
In the Student Lightning Talks, students spoke about environmental topics or job experiences. They shared endeavors like internships, research projects, and more. These talks also served as a space for students to network and learn from each other.
One of the talks was given by PhD student, Christopher Iweriebor, on urban food systems. In his talk, Christopher shared the work he’s doing at the University of the District of Columbia to help create strong, resilient food systems. Other students spoke about topics such as “Economic Assessment of DC’s Recreational Waters” (Jaleel Shujath, University of the District of Columbia), “Factors Affecting Hawaiian Monk Seal Survival” (Kalimah Muhammad, Howard University) and “Summer ‘25 Intern Experience at Masonville Cover Partnership” (Fiyin Ajao, Prince George’s County Community College).
Students showcase their artwork in the Student Art Showcase portion of the Summit, sharing their creativity with their fellow peers. Here, Olisa Menakaya from Morgan State University discusses his ‘Save the Oceans’ Wearable Art.
The Summit also had a student art show in celebration of the creative side of environmental work. Art is a powerful way to share messages about the environment. This year, students shared poems, mixed media, clothing designs, and paintings. Olisa Menakaya showed his wearable art called “Save Our Oceans,” showing the beauty and importance of aquatic life.
Photographer, Todd Dring, provides professional headshots for Summit attendees.
Summit participants also had the chance to get their headshot taken at no cost. Professional headshots can boost professional image and presence. Many students use these photos to update their resumes and LinkedIn profiles. This is another great way the Summit offered students support in preparing for future opportunities in the field.
Students participate in outdoor adventures throughout the NorthBay campus on Sunday afternoon.
On day two of the Summit, students, faculty, and staff chose from several fun and engaging outdoor activities. Some took on the sky-high adventure ropes course, where they worked as a team to overcome an obstacle course. Others joined a fishing trip led by Coach Todd Pride, to learn how to fish in a sustainable way. Another group went kayaking with Maryland Park Ranger Sarah Gambolati to explore NorthBay’s local waterways.
Back on land, Troy Bynum led a guided bird walk and nature photography workshop, teaching participants to identify local birds and capture them on camera. Students also joined an art and nature activity led by Gabrielle Roffe and Ralinda Wimbush, using natural materials to create art. The remaining participants participated in a hands-on research experience with Dr. Sulakshana Bhatt focused on studying plastic pollution in the Bay.
Whether climbing high on the ropes course, or trying to snap a photo of a Baltimore oriole in flight, participants strengthened their connection to both the Chesapeake Bay and to each other.
Students and faculty participate in scattegories as part of an icebreaker challenge series on day one.
At this year’s Summit, students got to know each other through team games and fun social activities. They connected not only as future professionals, but as people who care about the Chesapeake Bay. Many attendees shared phone numbers and followed each other on social media during the busy, but meaningful weekend. Students left with new friends, hope for the Bay’s future, and excitement to come back.
Some students shared the following reflections on the anonymous feedback form:
“This was an enriching and needed experience for me. I had an incredible time being surrounded by like-minded people who provided me with so much insight!”
“Great weekend, I really enjoyed myself and will continue to recommend the Summit.”
Thank you to the generous support from our sponsors and the tireless efforts of the Steering committee, listed below, respectively. By engaging and inspiring conversations among students and faculty, this event acts as a catalyst for growing engagement in the environmental field, making it all the more important to continue this work. The Summit would not have been successful without this support, and we can’t wait to see what future Summits have to offer!
Emma Gregory, Capacity Building Projects Manager, introduces the Steering Committee to the Summit’s participants during her welcome remarks.
See more photos from this year’s summit
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