Film Screening: How to Poison a Planet, featuring a Q&A with Rob Bilott

Rob Bilott is an environmental attorney known for his work on chemical contamination litigation. He earned his law degree from the Ohio State University and practices at Taft Stettinius & Hollister LLP in Cincinnati. Bilott led a landmark class-action lawsuit against DuPont over the release of perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), a toxic chemical used in Teflon production, resulting in a major settlement and increased awareness of PFAS contamination. Bilott’s story inspired the 2019 film Dark Waters and the documentary The Devil We Know, and he chronicled his journey in the memoir Exposure. His work has earned him numerous accolades and awards. He is active in the Ohio environmental community where he serves as a board member for the Green Umbrella Regional Climate Collaborative based in Cincinnati.

Juliana Huizenga is a senior environmental engineer at Cyclopure, where she designs, installs, and evaluates PFAS treatment systems across the United States and Europe. Prior to joining Cyclopure, Juliana completed her PhD in environmental engineering at Oregon State University, and postdoctoral training in environmental toxicology through the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences T32 training program. In pursuit of a healthier environment, her work focuses on the detection, toxicity, and remediation of emerging environmental contaminants.

Callia Téllez is a 2L Student at The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law, where she focuses on environmental and public interest law. Before law school, she was a Udall Scholar and earned her BS in Environmental Policy and Decision Making at Ohio State. Callia previously served as the Program Assistant for the Environmental Professionals Network (EPN), an Environmental Policy Fellow at the Ohio Environmental Council, and recently completed an internship in the Environmental Practice Group at Taft Law Firm. Her work and studies reflect her deep commitment to environmental justice, law, and advocacy.

David Hanselmann is a respected environmental leader with decades of experience advancing conservation and sustainability across Ohio. He served in key leadership roles at the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, including Chief of the Divisions of Soil and Water Resources and Recycling and Litter Prevention, where he spearheaded statewide initiatives to protect natural resources. In 2012, David transitioned to OSU, where he founded the Environmental Professionals Network (EPN), creating a vibrant community to help private and public sector environmental professionals and organizations meet their information, networking, and continuing education needs. His visionary work continues to shape Ohio’s environmental landscape and inspire future generations of professionals.
 

Professor Kathy Seward Northern served as a law clerk to the Honorable Robert M. Duncan, Southern District of Ohio, following graduation from law school, and then became an associate with the law firm of Porter, Wright, Morris, & Arthur in Columbus. In 1990, she joined the law faculty of Ohio Northern University, moving to Ohio State in 1991. She served as chair of the Ohio Supreme Court Commission on Professionalism and was a member of the Civil Justice Reform Act Advisory Group for the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio. Her research areas include the use of tort law in social policy formation, the application of traditional tort principles to mitigate the effects of environmental racism, and products liability. She teaches Advanced Topics in Tort Law, Environmental Justice, Law & Technology, Products Liability, and Torts.