About Us
The Community Engagement Core works with North Carolina communities affected by environmental contaminants, with a focus on early life exposures to chemicals that may have impacts later in life.
Feel free to reach out to us with questions at SuperfundCEC@duke.edu
What do we do?
The CEC promotes environmental health literacy in communities disproportionately impacted by chemical contaminants.
How do we do it?
The CEC partners with community-based and serving organizations focused on education, outreach, and policy actions related to environmental health issues.
Why do we do it?
The CEC aims to increase individual and community awareness of the sources and impacts of chemical contaminants in the environment, and support the community’s efforts to address associated health risks.
Who We Are
Elizabeth Shapiro-Garza, PhD, directs the Community Engagement Core (CEC). She has over twenty years of both applied and research experience related to community engagement. Her expertise is in Community-Based Participatory Research (CBPR), the translation of science for low-literacy users, and in pedagogical approaches to teaching community engagement practice and theory.
Megan Hoert Hughes, MEM is the Senior Program Coordinator for Environmental Health Communication. She joined the Superfund Team in 2024 and supports both the Administrative and Research Translation Core (ARTC) and the Community Engagement Core (CEC). Megan has over twenty years of experience supporting and engaging with communities around environmental health challenges.
Chiara Klein, MEM joined the Center in July 2021 and is the Program Coordinator for Community Engagement. She has a Master’s of Environmental Management, degree from the Nicholas School of the Environment at Duke University.
Our Community Advisory Board
Calvin Allen, Vice President of Partnerships and Program, MDC
Veronica Carter, Member, Board of Directors, NC Coastal Federation
Rob Condon, Founder & Executive Director, Young Scientist Academy
Kathryn Gaasch, Program Director, MDC
Dr. Chris Lamont Brown, Co-Director of Research & Education, NC Environmental Justice Network
Madeline James, Associate Program Manager of Nature and Sustainability, Museum of Life + Science
Ashley Lomboy, Program Director, Waccamaw Siouan STEM Studio
Alexis Luckey, Executive Director, Toxic Free NC
Katlyn May, Co-Director, Center for Human Health and the Environment, North Carolina State University
Maya Miller, Executive Director, Cape Fear River Assembly and Land Water and Community Coalition; Co-Founder, El Nur Tours
Bonnie Mitchell, Coastal Education Coordinator, NC Coastal Federation
Dr. E. Britt Moore, Assistant Professor, UNC Wilmington
Dean Neff, Chef/Owner, Seabird Restaurant
Rachael Polmanteer, Associate Director, Center for Inquiry Based Learning (CIBL)
Keni Reinks, Upper School Science Educator, Cape Fear Academy
Dana Sargent, Executive Director, Cape Fear River Watch
Lauren Tippett, Assistant Director, Young Scientist Academy