Embodied Ecologies and Planetary Health

#WIE #sensing #sensors #planetaryhealth

We are living in an era defined by compounding, macro-systemic disruptions—overlapping ecological, social, and health crises that signal the collapse of old, extractive paradigms. Underlying this planetary instability is a deeper crisis of disembodiment: a historic journey of
separation from land, body, and place. However, as old systems fragment, a collective awakening rooted in mutual aid, deep social cohesion, and regenerative network building is emerging exactly on time.

In its Precision Sensing Lecture Series, International Institute for Biosensing (IIB) in collaboration with IEEE Twin Cities Women in Engineering (WIE) Affinity Group and IEEE Twincities Sensor Council is proud to host Dr. Angelica Walton serves as Director of the Center for Planetary Health and Environmental Justice, University of Minnesota and as the Research & Scholarship Director for the Planetary Health North America Hub, where she advances holistic, justice-driven scholarship to empower communities and foster cross-sector collaboration.

This lecture bridges planetary health, ecofeminism, and systems design to explore humanity's critical role as conscious stewards and caretakers within the web of life. Drawing from the Two-Loop Theory of systems change, we will discuss how to safely hospice dying, extractive
structures while naming and nurturing the alternative, life-affirming systems rising to take their place. Grounded in nursing leadership frameworks, the presentation illuminates how "feministic" qualities within natural systems—such as reciprocity, relational infrastructure, and mutual care—can guide our institutional designs.

Crucially, we will examine the biological and energetic mechanics of connection—from the physiology of touch, oxytocin, and serotonin, to human biofields—demonstrating how conscious expressions of love, care, and compassion physically alter system behaviors and outcomes. Finally, utilizing recent case studies from global advocacy spaces at the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (CSW), attendees will learn how to transition from individual wellness to systemic "environments of care";. The session will conclude with an interactive systems-mapping exercise, empowering participants to embody these natural laws and intentionally integrate regenerative design into their own boardrooms, clinics, classrooms, and community efforts.