Fairfield’s annual Innovative Research Symposium — a celebration of innovation and academic excellence, marked by presentations of faculty-moderated research from more than 300 undergraduate and graduate students — will be held on Thursday, April 22, 2021. New this year, the Office of the Provost has invited writer and media relations professional Melody Serafino ’05, co-founder of communications agency No. 29, for a 1 p.m. virtual conversation about her Fairfield experience and how it prepared her for a career in media and public relations. This event is open to the public and participants should register.

Following nine years on the agency side and as a freelance reporter for Time Out New York, in 2013 Serafino co-founded No. 29, a full-service communications agency that elevates and gives voice to brands that create impact. She has overseen major campaigns for nonprofits, startups, artists, filmmakers, and brands including TED, Embodied’s Moxie – which was named a best invention of 2020 by Time magazine, and the U.N. premiere of Yann Arthus-Bertrand’s documentary film, Human. 

Serafino has worked with reporters across a range of countries, outlets, and beats — from arts and technology to sustainability and fashion. She regularly speaks on the topic of sustainability and the power of storytelling, including at the TEDx Summit in Qatar; the International Conference on Family Planning Youth Pre-Conference in Indonesia; and on panels in New York City. Serafino serves on the boards for A Second U Foundation, the Fairfield University Alumni Association, The New Fashion Initiative, and the Rising Leaders Council for New York Cares.

Earlier this year, Serafino and her co-founder launched "Enough." — a newsletter, storytelling platform, and podcast highlighting changemakers across industries who have had enough, but aren't giving up. In pre-Covid-19 times, she was an avid traveler who could be found riding the Trans-Siberian railway through the steppes of Mongolia, gorilla trekking in Uganda, or teaching in Ghana. 

College of Arts and Sciences Assistant Professor of Physics Robert Nazarian, PhD, and students will talk with Serafino about her experience at Fairfield and what led her to dedicate her career to environmental awareness. Dr. Nazarian serves as a member of the Fairfield University Environmental Studies steering committee, and prior to joining Fairfield, he was a lecturer in the Geosciences Department at Princeton University. He received his PhD in Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences and his research explores the role of mixing and turbulence in the ocean and atmosphere, as well as the climate system.

“This panel discussion provides a wonderful opportunity to showcase the ways in which Fairfield’s remarkable student/faculty research contributes to the large and important conversations that we are having as a nation,” said Dr. Nazarian. “We are fortunate to have engaged student researchers who will be sharing the interdisciplinary foci of their research and how their work speaks to the larger dialogue on sustainability, social justice, and public health. In conversation with Melody Serafino, whose own inspiring work intersects with these themes, we’ll explore the ways in which Fairfield students and alumni can constructively contribute, through their research and community engagement, to these critically important issues.”

Save the date: Thursday, April 22, 2021 at 1 p.m. to join "Environmental Sustainability, Social Justice, and Public Health: A Conversation With Melody Serafino ’05." Stay tuned for details on how to participate in the virtual conversation at fairfield.edu/symposium.