Conor Cusack

Conor is a master's student in the Public History track in the HSPH program. They come in with an academic background in Geography, GIS, and Food Systems and years of experience working in climate and environmental policy with a focus on people-powered, democratically run energy, transportation, and food systems in the Midwest. They have worked on the ground supporting grassroots campaigns from climate justice to criminal justice reform, in the kitchen managing a community free meal program during the depth of the COVID-19 pandemic, and in the art studio creating art for social justice organizations and issues in the Twin Cities.  Conor is joining the program with a particular focus on the role of public art and history in grassroots social movements, the history of extractive industries in Minnesota, labor organizing, and the role of public history in community design and planning.