A Richmond medical professional is being recognized for her educational and advocacy work on climate issues.
Retired physician Dr. Gwen Halsted, who most recently practiced family medicine with the Wayne County Health Department, has been named a 2024 Hoosier Resilience Hero. The honor, given by the Environmental Resilience Institute at Indiana University, recognizes people dedicated to climate policy, renewable energy, sustainable practices and more.
“Some of our heroes have been working to educate others and address longstanding environmental challenges for decades; others have taken action more recently,” Environmental Resilience Institute Managing Director Sarah Mincey said in a news release. “They are all part of a growing network of Indiana sustainability champions who recognize our inextricable dependence on natural systems and who are rallying communities to make positive change. Thanks to these individuals, more Hoosiers recognize that a resilient future and a thriving environment go hand in hand.”
In addition to her work in healthcare, Halsted is a local facilitator with the Richmond Advocacy Team for the Friends Committee on National Legislation.
ERI says that “Halsted has not slowed down in her support of climate and environmental work both in her community and through national initiatives. Inspired by her Quaker beliefs, she educates voters, community members, and elected officials on environmental issues, drawing from her core values of simplicity, peace, integrity, community, equality and stewardship. Her Quaker meeting’s Green Team has organized environmental field trips, supported local climate action planning and worked with the city’s environmental commission to provide weatherization education to low-income households.”
The release also notes that “Halsted regularly engages politicians on climate and sustainability issues, approaching them with a commitment to solving problems through bipartisan action. In her personal choices, Halsted is a model of sustainability living, prioritizing local food and demonstrating the benefits of simplicity and stewardship in her daily interactions with her community.”
More information about ERI’s work to create environmental resilience and climate solutions is available at eri.iu.edu.
A version of this article appeared in the May 1 2024 print edition of the Western Wayne News.