Our first guest today is Dr. Kalvin Lung, Thoracic Surgeon at Northwestern Medicine. Dr. Lung assists with COVID and non-COVID lung transplant procedures will discuss the importance of this technology and the strides being made in combating lung disease. Lung transplantation is the last resort for patients with end-stage lung disease. However, there is currently a global shortage of donated lungs which sadly results in deaths among patients on the waitlist. At the same time, many donated lungs are deemed unsuitable for transplantation and go unutilized. To help rescue potentially viable lungs – and those initially deemed “unacceptable” for transplant – the FDA has approved a device that flushes and oxygenates the donated lung once it’s outside of the body while washing it in a preservative. Nicknamed “lungs in a box,” the XVIVO perfusion system allows lungs to be ventilated and kept at body temperature for up to five hours, giving surgeons the opportunity to assess their suitability for transplant. For more information please visit www.nm.org/radio
Our second guest is Alan N. VanderMolen, Community & Communications Officer, SC Johnson. Today he will discuss what you need to know about Closed Loop Recycling and how popular sports teams are pitching in to combat Plastic Waste. Did you know in the U.S., just eight percent of plastic is recycled according to the EPA? To combat this issue, SC Johnson has teamed up with the partners from Wisconsin, the Milwaukee Bucks, and the Milwaukee Brewers, to create new recycling systems aimed at collecting and recycling plastic bottles and cups into everyday household cleaning products. Mr. VanderMolen sits on the boards of the Planet Water Foundation and the Plank Center for Leadership in Public Relations. He is also a member of the curriculum advisory board of Hong Kong Baptist University. He has spoken on roundtables at the UN Global Compact Leaders Summit, the Clinton Global Initiative and the World Economic Forum’s Anti-Corruption Conference. For more information go to:https://www.plasticstoday.com/packaging/sc-johnson-partners-brewers-and-bucks-upcycle-arena-cups
Our lasts guests are Jodi Grant, Executive Director, Afterschool Alliance, a non-profit public awareness and advocacy organization working to ensure that all children and youth have access to quality, affordable afterschool programs. Jodi graduated from Yale University with honors and received her law degree from Harvard University. She currently serves on the Board of Partners for Livable Communities and is a Trustee of America’s Promise. She lives with her husband and two children in Washington, DC. Today Back to School Means Back to STEM Learning in Afterschool Programs. Jodi and Laura discuss a new study from the Afterschool Alliance that identifies inequities in Stem Learning. https://afterschoolalliance.org/
Laura Overdeck is the Chair of Overdeck Family Foundation and the Founder and President of Bedtime Math, a nonprofit that ignites kids’ curiosity and learning by unleashing the fun in math. Laura holds a B.A. in astrophysics from Princeton University, an M.B.A. from The Wharton School of Business, and an honorary D. Eng from Stevens Institute of Technology. She is a trustee of Princeton University, Liberty Science Center, and The Pingry School, and serves on the advisory boards of Khan Academy, Johns Hopkins Center for Talented Youth (CTY), Stevens Institute of Technology, and Governor’s School of New Jersey. For more information go to: https://bedtimemathfoundation.org/