Leaders from across Maryland gathered Tuesday for the second annual iMPACT MARYLAND conference at the Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall in Baltimore. The day’s events included four panelists from Johns Hopkins University —President Ron Daniels, Director of Sustainability Julian Goresko, School of Nursing Dean Sarah L. Szanton, and physician-entrepreneur Therese Canares, assistant professor of pediatrics at the School of Medicine and founder of CurieDx, which is developing an AI-powered home test for strep throat. Maryland governor and JHU alum Wes Moore, A&S ’01, also spoke.

iMPACT MARYLAND is an annual conference hosted by The Baltimore Banner and co-sponsored by Johns Hopkins University and Medicine. The event brings together top leaders and thinkers to discuss Maryland’s successes, struggles, and future. Topics at this year’s conference included working toward net zero emissions, utilizing artificial intelligence, addressing the shortage of health care workers, fighting the opioid epidemic, and rebuilding after the Key Bridge collapse.

Daniels participated in the day’s first panel, titled “Leadership in a time of uncertainty.” The panel also included Maryland Comptroller Brooke Lierman and University of Maryland Medical System President and CEO Mohan Suntha, and was moderated David M. Rubenstein, owner of the Baltimore Orioles and co-founder of the Carlyle Group.

Rubenstein asked Daniels about the university’s efforts to revitalize East Baltimore, home to the university’s medical campus, which includes Johns Hopkins Hospital as well as the schools of Medicine, Nursing, and Public Health.

“It’s been challenging at times, but there’s been a lot that’s been accomplished,” Daniels said. “There’s a fabulous new school that’s been built in East Baltimore that we operate with the school system. There’s a hotel. There’s a large urban park. There’s new housing, commercial activity. I think that is one very direct way … in which we’ve been able to impact the neighborhoods.”

Daniels also spoke about HopkinsLocal, the university’s commitment to bolster economic growth, investment, and employment in Baltimore by leveraging the institution’s spending and hiring practices. From 2020 to 2023 alone, Johns Hopkins spent $575.6 million at Baltimore City businesses and hired 2,762 employees from local neighborhoods, boosting the city’s economy.

“The real challenges for Baltimore reside in its growth rate, both in population and of course economically, and this is where [we are] becoming more intentional and thoughtful about how we do our mission,” Daniels said. “We have really sought to use our procurement, our construction, and our hiring abilities to strengthen the city.”

In the afternoon, Goresko participated a panel titled “Getting to Net Zero: The difficult path to sustainability.” He was joined by Meghan Conklin, chief sustainability officer for the Governor’s Office; Carim Khouzami, president and CEO of Baltimore Gas and Electric; and Ava Richardson, Baltimore’s sustainability director.

Goresko discussed the university’s efforts to reduce its environmental impact.

Image caption: Julian Goresko

Image credit: Will Kirk / Johns Hopkins University

“We were able to make a commitment in 2019 to the largest renewable energy agreement in the state of Maryland. We’ve reduced greenhouse gas emissions at the university by 57%. We purchase over 60% of our electricity from renewable sources. We’re making a Climate Action and Sustainability Plan with a commitment to reaching net zero by 2040 and purchasing all renewables for our electricity sources by 2030,” he said. “There are many things that we thought we couldn’t do that we’re doing today, … and so I think optimism, collaboration—these are critical across sectors as we work together.”

Goresko also touched on JHU’s unique environmental responsibilities as a research university.

“One of the narratives that really emerged in our planning work at Hopkins was around not just our role as stewards of the environment and how we operate around campuses and in buildings, but … research, development, and our role as an academic institution,” he said. “[We need to pursue] training the next generation of sustainability leaders in tandem with the operational things we’re talking about today.”

Szanton spoke on a panel exploring the shortage of health care workers in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, spotlight a pilot program she developed called Neighborhood Nursing, which brings health care to Baltimore neighborhoods—and reduces disparities—by linking every resident to a nurse and community health worker.

Canares discussed her digital health venture, CurieDX, on a panel that examined the far-reaching impact of artificial intelligence on our daily lives, with a focus on how AI-powered technology is transforming industries and revolutionizing the consumer experience.

Image credit: Will Kirk / Johns Hopkins University