UofL Superfund Research Center Community Engagement

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UofL Superfund Research Center Community Engagement Core

The University of Louisville Superfund Research Center (ULSRC) supports research about environmental health impacts of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) such as cardiometabolic diseases – a major concern for Louisville residents living near the city's chemical and power plants as well as those exposed to VOCs from other outdoor and indoor sources.

Lauren Heberle leads the Community Engagement Core component of the grant. The CEPM works closely with ULSRC researchers and members of the Louisville community to communicate concerns and needs. We support both the ULSRC researchers and trainees in building their capacity for community engaged research and scholarship.

In 2019, the Community Engagement Core established an open Community Advisory Board that meets to discuss, support and learn about research efforts of the ULSRC. In December 2019, the CAB nominated and confirmed a Coordinating Committee to guide the CEC activities and serve as connectors to the ULSRC and the broader public in Louisville, Kentucky.

As a result of COVID-19 much of the work of the ULSRC CEC moved online. We have created a publicly available ULSRC CAB google drive folder that includes information about our Coordinating Committee meetings, our broader Community Advisory Board Meetings and our Community Knowledge Exchange Sessions. 

These documents have been archived, but the public can send a request to view the archived information by emailing cepm@louisville.edu. 

Resources

Some documents from previous CAB and Community Knowledge Exchange sessions are being updated for accessibility and will be restored soon. Contact cepm@louisville.edu to request a copy of any document. 

  • Learn more about the ULSRC Research Projects and Cores
  • Frequently asked questions about Superfund sites and federal programs
  • Get involved: The Community Engagement Core maintains an open Community Advisory Board that meets regularly to discuss and support the research efforts of the ULSRC. If you're interested in joining the CAB or the Coordinating Committee, fill out our interest form: contact us
  • Community health resources: Information about volatile organic compounds (VOCs):
    • indoor sources
    • common sources and ways to protect yourself
    • Learn about lead poisoning
    • tips for safer urban gardens
  • Local Superfund information:
    • Lee's Lane Landfill (Superfund site in Louisville, Kentucky)
    • History of Riverside Gardens and Lake Dreamland, the neighborhoods adjacent to the Lee's Lane Landfill

Coordinating Committee

  • Patricia Bautista Cervera, project assessor, Compassionate Schools Project; community liaison, La Casita Center
  • Lori Clark, project coordinator, Christina Lee Brown Envirome Institute, University of Louisville
  • Torend L. Collins, environmental coordinator, Louisville Metro Air Pollution Control District
  • Jackson Dillon, founder and CEO, Dillon LLC
  • Arnita Gadson, executive director, West Jefferson Community Task Force
  • Allison Smith, Brownfields program manager and community engagement strategist, Louisville Metro Government
  • Nancy Tierney, higher education administration, facility planning