Climate Week NYC

The sixth annual Climate Week NYC is in full swing this week and those who know Dorothy Boorse (biology) would all agree it’s the most logical place you’d find her.

Last year, Boorse spoke at the Climate Week NYC opening ceremony as one of a select group of high-profile leaders. This year, notable environmentalists including Leonardo DiCaprio, Jane Goodall and Vandana Shiva marched alongside policymakers such as U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and former Vice President Al Gore as Climate week began. But Boorse decide this year she would participate on a grass-roots level through the People’s Climate March, which reports indicate was the largest climate march in history: 400,000 people walked through Manhattan together on Monday to get world leaders to pay more attention to climate issues.

Boorse walked with the group Young Evangelicals for Climate Action (YECA), a Christian association comprised of students from colleges and universities across the country. Always inspired when advocating along with young adults, Boorse represented the Gordon community with each step, serving as a mentor and fellow scientist with the walkers from YECA. “It was an amazing experience to be in such a large group, trying to change something important, and a privilege to represent a Christian voice,” said Boorse. “I walked next to a group of scientists. One woman next to me was from a lab in Texas; the other was a microbiologist.” Boorse’s influence can be seen in generations of Gordon students and alumni. She bumped into a group walking from Harvard University which included Matt Van Hamersveld ’11. The reunion created a time to reconnect on an advocacy level with upcoming leaders, including one who got his undergraduate start at Gordon.

Photo >> Dr. Boorse poses for a quick photo with some students from YECA.