Brown Bag Lunch -- Partnerships with Purpose: Listening to the Voices of Partners

Moderators: Hosun Kang and Rossella Santagata, UC Irvine Thursday, June 18, 2026 12–1:00pm PST Room ALP 1700 Panelists: Youth: Azra Odabas, a rising senior at Northwood High School, a student researcher of the YouthCARES project Teacher: Mrs. Nelly Tasi, Northwood High School Community partner: Sara Ludovise, Administrator of the Inside the Outdoors Program, Orange County Department of Education (OCDE) Undergraduate student researcher and a former student researcher: Ethan Lin, NYU Inspired by the conference theme “Partnering with Purpose,” this session centers the voices of youth, educators, and community partners who have collaborated with researchers. Panelists will reflect on what motivates meaningful partnerships, what challenges can undermine collaboration, and what they wish researchers better understood about working in authentic and respectful ways. Through conversation and audience engagement, the session invites attendees to reconsider how partnerships are built, sustained, and experienced by those most directly involved.