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Climate Cafe
Are you interested in talking with others about what it’s like to live, learn, and work in this uncertain time of human-caused climate change?
The café is a welcoming space to share your experiences, feelings, hopes, and ideas. Connect with others in the community and benefit from the opportunity to give and receive support. This climate café will be lead by Dr. Kate Staley, Senior Fellow at PCSSM, and Dr. Beth Mark, retired staff psychiatrist at the Counseling and Psychological Services. Open to students, faculty, and staff. This event is part of Climate Week at Penn and you can find more info on this and other events here.
Space is limited – you must register to attend.Register Here.
Date: Tuesday, October 14, 2025
12:00-1:30PM
Must register to attend
Location: Hayden Hall, Room 360
About the event organizers:
Katharine (Kate) C. Staley, Ph.D. is a licensed clinical psychologist, trained in the scientist/practitioner model. Currently, she is serving as a Visiting Scholar at University of Pennsylvania’s Penn Center for Science, Sustainability, and the Media (PCSSM). There, Dr. Staley is conducting research on the anxiety, despair, and other psychological impacts of climate change on adolescents and young adults. Dr. Staley also started River Rocks Consulting where she employs her expertise writing white papers and offering evidence-based talks and trainings. Her most recent white paper was on the unique stressors impacting Generation Z’s mental health and wellbeing. Prior to starting River Rocks, Dr. Staley worked at Penn State University for over 15 years as a researcher, clinician, educator, writer, and outreach specialist. Most recently, Dr. Staley served as the Assistant Director of Community Education and Outreach at Penn State’s large student counseling center (CAPS). Other positions held at Penn State include Associate Director of the Justice Center for Research, Research Scientist at the Clearinghouse for Military Family Readiness, and PSU Project Director of the Family Life Project, a large two-site NICHD-funded study of children growing up in rural poverty. Dr. Staley has served as a consultant to a myriad of organizations, including CASEL, ChildFund International, and Togetherall, an international digital health company. Dr. Staley received her M.S. and Ph.D. in Child Clinical Psychology from Penn State University, and her A.B. in Psychology from Brown University.
Dr. Beth Mark is a retired staff psychiatrist at the Counseling and Psychological Services of the University of Pennsylvania. She is a board-certified diplomate in psychiatry and trained at Temple University and Thomas Jefferson University Hospital. She also holds a Masters in Environmental Studies from the University of Pennsylvania. Beth has a particular interest in ways we can develop psychological resilience when navigating “wicked problems” such as climate change. She is a steering committee member of the Climate Psychiatry Alliance.