The fourth annual UW–Madison Sustainability Symposium will feature lightning talks, poster sessions, and a keynote address by Dr. Adele Houghton on architectural epidemiology.
Houghton is president of Biositu, LLC, where she works at the intersection of buildings, public health, and climate change. She is a member of the American Institute of Architects College of Fellows and received a doctor of public health (DrPH) degree from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, where she also teaches.
Her book, Architectural Epidemiology (Johns Hopkins University Press, 2025), co-authored with Professor Carlos Castillo-Salgado of Johns Hopkins University, proposes a novel method for architectural design: combining neighborhood-scale environmental health data with participatory community engagement to maximize a building’s positive ripple effect on community and planetary health.
Hosted annually in partnership with Facilities Planning & Management, the Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies, University Lectures, and the UW Environmental Awareness Fund, the Sustainability Symposium provides a space to share research on sustainability, generate ideas, and inspire collaboration.