Event Information:
Date:
Wednesday, March 11, 2026
Time:
9:00 AM – 5:00 PM CT
Location:
Parents Hall, Olmsted Center at Drake University
Live Stream on The Harkin Institute YouTube channel.
Registration:
This event is free, but registration is required. Your registration includes lunch. If you are unable to attend, please email harkininstitute@drake.edu, or cancel through Eventbrite to help us minimize food waste.
Accomodations:
American Sign Language (ASL) and live captioning (CART) will be provided for all main stage content, in-person and virtually. ASL for in-person breakout sessions available upon request. Those requests, as well as any additional accommodation requests can be made by emailing harkininsititute@drake.edu.
Event Summary:
The 2026 Harkin On Wellness Symposium will take place on March 11, 2026, focusing on the treatment and prevention of cancer. The theme was chosen to explore the comprehensive landscape of cancer care today—from the environmental determinants that impact our health to the lifestyle and clinical interventions saving lives. Clean water and a healthy environment are fundamental to public health, yet the emerging link between environmental pollutants and cancer remains a critical challenge for our communities.
The 2026 symposium will feature two distinguished keynote speakers:
- Dr. Ricardo Salvador, co-founder and board member of the HEAL (Health, Environment, Agriculture, Labor) Food Alliance
- Dr. Jesse Bell, University of Nebraska Medical Center expert on nitrate pollution in drinking water
In addition to our keynotes, the event will feature two panel discussions:
- Where We’re At: The Battle Against Cancer in 2026: A comprehensive look at the current state of treatment and prevention.
- Reporting on the Drinking Water and Cancer Crises in Iowa: A deep dive into the local environmental challenges and the role of journalism in public health.
This year’s event will also recognize the recipients of the Harkin on Wellness Award, honoring those who have made significant contributions to the prevention and treatment of cancer.
Agenda for the 2026 Harkin on Wellness Symposium
| Time | Session | Speakers |
| 9:00 a.m. | Welcome Remarks |
|
| 9:10 a.m. | Morning Keynote |
|
| 10:00 a.m. | Break | |
| 10:10 a.m. | Panel 1: Where We’re At: The Battle Against Cancer in 2026 |
|
| 11:30 a.m. | Lunch | |
| 12:20 p.m. | Afternoon Keynote |
|
| 1:10 p.m. | Break | |
| 1:20 p.m. | Designee Presentations |
|
| 2:30 p.m. | Break | |
| 2:40 p.m. | Panel 2: Reporting on the Drinking Water and Cancer Crises in Iowa |
|
| 4:00 p.m. | An update on the Cancer and Environmental Risk Factors Report in collaboration with the Iowa Environmental Council |
|
| 4:30 p.m. | Closing Remarks |
Speakers
Dr. Ricardo Salvador
Co-founder and board member of the HEAL (Health, Environment, Agriculture, Labor) Food Alliance
Dr. Ricardo Salvador is co-founder and board member of the HEAL (Health, Environment, Agriculture, Labor) Food Alliance. He is an agronomist with experience in academia, philanthropy, and policy advocacy. Over a career of 45 years he worked to shape a more sustainable and socially equitable food system. Born and raised in southern Mexico, he completed his higher education at New Mexico State University and holds M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in crop production and physiology from Iowa State University. He taught and researched at Iowa State University for 26 years, prior to stints as Program Director for Food, Health and Wellbeing at the W. K. Kellogg Foundation and as director and senior scientist of the Food and Environment Program at the Union of Concerned Scientists. He served on the Board on Agriculture and Natural Resources of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, on the International Panel of Experts on Sustainable Food, and advised a range of organizations, including: the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition, FoodCorps, the Center for Good Food Purchasing, Food System 6, The Land Institute, National Farm to School Network, HEAL Food Alliance, and the Fair Food Program of the Coalition of Immokalee Workers.
Jason Clayworth
Staff writer at Axios Des Moines
Jason Clayworth is a reporter for Axios Des Moines, covering local government, public health, and community issues across central Iowa. Since joining Axios in 2020, he has reported extensively on Iowa’s rising cancer rates — including coverage of data showing the state has one of the highest and fastest-growing cancer incidence rates in the nation — and examined potential environmental contributors, such as nitrate contamination in drinking water and agricultural chemical exposure. His work often connects local policy decisions to broader public health trends affecting Iowans. He was raised on an Iowa farm.
Nina B. Elkadi
Editor-at-Large for Sentient Media
Nina B. Elkadi, from Iowa City, is an Editor-at-Large for Sentient and focuses on corporate negligence related to public health. Along with writing for Sentient, she has also written for National Geographic, Inside Climate News, Barn Raiser, and more. One of her most recent articles, “What Happens When a Small Town Can’t Drink Its Water?” discusses nitrate pollution in Iowa, which significantly impacts the public health of Iowans.
Carey Gillam
Managing Editor of The New Lede and contributor for the Guardian
Carey Gillam is a veteran investigative journalist with more than 30 years of experience covering US news, including 17 years as a senior correspondent with Reuters international news service (1998-2015). She is the author of “Whitewash- The Story of a Weed Killer, Cancer and the Corruption of Science,” an expose of Monsanto’s corporate corruption of agriculture. The book won the coveted Rachel Carson Book Award from the Society of Environmental Journalists in 2018. Her second book, a narrative legal thriller titled The Monsanto Papers, was released March 2, 2021. In 2022, Gillam helped launch the non-profit environmental news outlet called The New Lede as a journalism initiative of the Environmental Working Group. Gillam writes regularly for The Guardian and her work has been featured in The New York Times, Huffington Post, Time, and other outlets.
Dr. Greg Kennedy
UnityPoint Health Chief Medical Officer – Oncology Service Line
Dr. Greg Kennedy is the UnityPoint Health Chief Medical Officer – Oncology Service Line. Dr. Kennedy joined UnityPoint Health from the University of Alabama at Birmingham, where he served as the John H. Blue Chair of General Surgery and Director of the Cancer Network for the O’Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center. During his tenure at UAB, he has also served as Executive Vice Chair of the Department of Surgery, Director of the Division of GI Surgery, and Director of the Colorectal Cancer Service Line for the UAB Comprehensive Cancer Center. He is a graduate of the University of Washington School of Medicine. He received his PhD in cancer biology from the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, where he also completed his general surgery residency. He went on to complete a colon and rectal surgery fellowship at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., and earned his MBA from the University of Alabama at Birmingham in 2024.
Dr. Jesse Bell
Professor at the University of Nebraska Medical Center
Dr. Jesse Bell is a professor and researcher at the University of Nebraska Medical Center focused on the connection between climate and health. He created the very first joint research position between the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. His main research focus areas are climate, water quality, public health, and environmental health, and he has published over 70 articles in these subject areas. In addition, he is the director of the Water, Climate and Health Program at UNMC and the director of Water, Climate and Health at the University of Nebraska’s Daugherty Water for Food Global Institute.
Dr. Richard Deming
Medical Director of MercyOne Richard Deming Cancer Center and Oncologist
As the founder of Above + Beyond Cancer, Dr. Richard Deming seeks to improve the lives of individuals who have been impacted by cancer. Dr. Deming has over 30 years of experience at MercyOne Des Moines as an oncologist. He cares deeply about his patients, and offers mind-body-spirit pilgrimages to locations like Mount Everest and Mount Kilimanjaro to help support them during times of struggle. As an oncologist, he not only encourages patients to take care of their physical health, but also their mental health through his Optimal Living Program.
Joe Garcia
Aflac Regional Vice President for the Northwest Region
Joe Garcia is the Regional Vice President of the Northwest Region for Aflac, and prior to that he served as the North Territory Director for 11 years. An MBA graduate from Drake University, Garcia is focused on channel development and insurance solutions. As a resident of Johnston, Iowa, he is passionate about how his work connects to the battle against cancer.
Dan Keating
Staff writer at The Washington Post
Dan Keating is a staff writer at the Washington Post who is passionate about analyzing cancer rates in the Midwest. With his Miami Herald team, he won the Goldsmith and Pulitzer prizes for investigative reporting in 1999. Additionally, Keating taught data and analysis at the University of Maryland. He is eager to discuss his analysis of cancer rates in Iowa with fellow reporters and advocates.
Audrey Tran Lam
University of Northern Iowa Environmental Health Program Director
With a master’s degree in public health from the University of Iowa, Audrey Lam now serves as the Environmental Health Program Director at UNI. She leads sustainability efforts at the Center for Energy & Environmental Education, specifically looking at the connection between human health and the environment. As an executive member of the Cancer Free Economy Network and Design Team for Green America’s Soil & Climate Alliance, she is looking forward to discussing this year’s HOW theme.
Dr. Sue Mattison
Drake University Provost
Dr. Sue Mattison was appointed Drake University Provost on July 18, 2016. In addition to serving as chief academic officer, she has a PhD in epidemiology, and holds tenure as Professor in the College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences. Reporting to the President, the Provost oversees all academic programs, including six colleges and schools, as well as faculty hiring, development, promotion, and tenure; enrollment management and admissions; student life; equity and inclusion; the libraries; student success and retention; accreditation, institutional research, and assessment; research, grants, and contracts; online education; and international and global education.
Jean McGinnis
Physician Assistant-Certified, clinician and educator
Jean L. McGinnis, Physician Assistant-Certified, clinician and educator with more than two decades of experience across emergency medicine, hospital care, and primary care. She has led large-scale lifestyle and wellness programs for a Fortune 250 company and works with individuals to address root causes of chronic disease using evidence-based nutrition, movement, stress reduction, and metabolic health strategies. Her work emphasizes practical, science-driven actions over internet fads and hype.
The 2026 Harkin on Wellness Symposium was made possible due to the support of our generous sponsors!
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