Badger Talks
Bringing the UW to you.

Prasanta Verma Anumolu

Community Development Educator

Extension Milwaukee County - Community Development Institute

Hometown: Grew up in Alabama

Prasanta is an accomplished author, speaker, and community development and public health professional focused on economic resilience, food systems, and social connection. She researches and leads efforts to improve food access in Wisconsin, strengthen social connection and address the loneliness epidemic, foster economic resiliency, and build healthier, more connected communities.

Her book, Beyond Ethnic Loneliness, was a Finalist for the 2024 Foreword Reviews Book of the Year and speaks into the loneliness epidemic, the need for social connection, and bridging understanding. Prasanta is passionate about making our communities healthier and better connected.

Talks:

Loneliness and Social Connection: How Can We Connect Better?
Maybe you’re heard we are living in a loneliness epidemic. Why is that important and why does it matter? This talk will look at the implications of the loneliness epidemic, why it matters to each of us, and share some practical how-to’s we can use in our everyday lives to better connect with one another.
Ethnicity and Loneliness: What it Means and Why it Matters
This is a unique and peculiar kind of loneliness. Have you ever been told to go back to where you came from or felt you didn’t belong due to your ethnicity, race, or culture? This talk explores some of the research from Prasanta’s book Beyond Ethnic Loneliness, to help us learn and create greater awareness of what this means and why it matters. The talk will conclude with practical suggestions for the ethnic minority audience on managing this kind of loneliness, and for the majority culture audience, suggestions on being a friend and advocate in work and personal spaces.
Principles of Debate and Respectful Dialogue
What is debate? It isn’t really arguing. How can we respectfully disagree and discuss ideas with one another? This talk will outline a few guidelines and principles we can employ in our daily lives, in formal as well as informal settings.

Workshops:

Storytelling Workshop

The Storytelling Workshop is a workshop-based activity meant as a team-building exercise to break the ice or to bring teams closer together. Participants will be asked to do a brief and easy (for all ages) writing activity, facilitated by Prasanta.

Additional Resources: