Agents of Change in Environmental Justice: Recent Episodes
Agents of Change in Environmental Justice
Agents of Change in Environmental Justice brings you the voices and stories of next generation environmental health and justice leaders from underrepresented backgrounds.
It’s been five years since the Agents of Change in Environmental Justice program launched, and at a recent retreat gathering the leadership team reflected on what we’ve learned and what environmental issues we’re watching closely as we near 2025.
Ufuoma Ovienmhada joins the Agents of Change in Environmental Justice podcast to discuss environmental injustice at prisons across the U.S.
Pradnya Garud joins the Agents of Change in Environmental Justice podcast to discuss the role of unions in climate and environmental justice.
Laura Diaz joins the Agents of Change in Environmental Justice podcast to discuss the intersection of social and environmental stressors on children’s health.
Wellington Onyenwe joins the Agents of Change in Environmental Justice podcast to discuss using an environmental justice lens in looking at chemical exposure, and his passion for food and cooking.
Mokshda Kaul joins the Agents of Change in Environmental Justice podcast to discuss the clean energy transition and how policymakers and other leaders can avoid mistakes of the past.
Elijah Hutchinson joins the Agents of Change in Environmental Justice podcast to discuss New York City’s first comprehensive study on environmental inequality and how communities can use it to advocate for themselves.
Dr. Timnit Kefela joins the Agents of Change in Environmental Justice podcast to discuss the the specific ways microplastics harm urban communities and some of her tips for reducing plastic use and exposure.
Brandon Rothrock joins the Agents of Change in Environmental Justice podcast to discuss the intersection of the environment and LGBTQ+ identities, and emerging climate and health issues in Appalachia.
As we enjoy the summer season, today we’re revisiting our conversation with Dr. Jennifer D. Roberts who discusses nature as medicine for our physical and mental health.
Dr. Maria Jose Talayero Schettino joins the Agents of Change in Environmental Justice podcast to discuss why she switched careers from physician to environmental health research, and how she’s using this new training to advocate for environmental justice in Mexico.
Today we’re re-airing our conversation with Dr. Beverly Wright, who joined the Agents of Change in Environmental Justice podcast last year to discuss her journey as an environmental justice pioneer.
Jose Ramon Becerra Vera joins the Agents of Change in Environmental Justice podcast to discuss arming residents in his native Inland Empire region of California with air pollution data to advocate for their health and community.
Liliana Sierra Castillo joins the Agents of Change in Environmental Justice podcast to discuss the concept of blue justice and how the expansion of aquaculture impacts small-scale fishery communities.
Aalayna Green joins the Agents of Change in Environmental Justice podcast to discuss how race and gender intersect with conservation and how we can move toward more justice-oriented relationships with the natural world.
Dr. Greer Hamilton joins the Agents of Change in Environmental Justice podcast to discuss how she uses the arts to engage and involve communities around environmental justice research.
Dr. Jalonne White-Newsome joins the Agents of Change in Environmental Justice podcast to discuss the how the Biden administration is incorporating environmental justice across federal agencies.
Dr. Ana Baptista joins the Agents of Change in Environmental Justice podcast to discuss how she’s working to support environmental justice movements from within academia.
Dr. Lisbeth Iglesias-Ríos joins the Agents of Change in Environmental Justice podcast to discuss her recent research on the dehumanizing work conditions for migrant farmworkers in Michigan and what we can do to address these injustices.
Dr. Kristi Pullen Fedinick joins the Agents of Change in Environmental Justice podcast to discuss how a commitment to service has guided her career as a scientist in advocacy, academia and now the federal government.
Dr. Mike Anastario joins the Agents of Change in Environmental Justice podcast to discuss his work in the corn and sorghum fields of El Salvador, where he was seeking to understand the relationship between workers and the land as well as how farm chemicals could be harming them.
Azmal Hossan joins the Agents of Change in Environmental Justice podcast to discuss his recent selection for the 2030 Climate Champions fellowship, an initiative from The Asia Foundation aimed at bolstering U.S. and China collaboration on climate change.
Idalmis Vaquero joins the Agents of Change in Environmental Justice podcast to discuss her upbringing in an environmental justice neighborhood, how it led her to law school, and how Just Solutions turns communities’ priorities into policies.
Marissa Chan joins the Agents of Change in Environmental Justice podcast to discuss her latest research on beauty injustice and toxics lurking on shelves in Boston stores.
Senior fellows JoRee LaFrance and Kevin Patterson join the Agents of Change in Environmental Justice podcast to discuss energy production and use in their tribal communities and the challenges and opportunities to make it more sustainable.
Dr. Robbie Parks joins the Agents of Change in Environmental Justice podcast to give listeners a front row seat at the largest, most consequential climate change conference on the planet.
Ebony Martin joins the Agents of Change in Environmental Justice podcast to discuss how Greenpeace has expanded its focus on voting and labor rights, peaceful dissent and protest, and free speech rights to push for environmental progress and justice.
Fellows Dr. Carolyn Ramírez and Gabriel Gadsden join the Agents of Change in Environmental Justice podcast to discuss some eye- and mind-opening books they’ve been reading on environmental justice.
Two Agents of Change senior fellows explore the meaning of their names and how words shape environmental justice conversations.
Dr. Carlos Gould joins the Agents of Change in Environmental Justice podcast to discuss the latest research on wildfire smoke’s impact on our health, and how we can protect ourselves.
Sabah Usmani joins the Agents of Change in Environmental Justice podcast to discuss the role of urban planners in tackling environmental injustice.
Jan-Michael Archer joins the Agents of Change in Environmental Justice podcast to discuss community-driven science in Alabama’s Black Belt and his role in fighting for workers’ rights at his university.
Laila Gad, a summer intern for the Agents of Change program, and Neeshad Shafi, a climate change advocate and the co-founder of the Arab Youth Climate Movement Qatar, discuss climate change in the Arab world and the harms of Western media's reporting on climate change and energy in the Middle East.
Dr. Robbie Parks joins the Agents of Change in Environmental Justice podcast for a bonus episode to discuss how hurricanes have become deadlier in recent years and how we can better protect vulnerable communities.
Fellows Marissa Chan and Dr. Denise Moreno Ramírez are joined by Melissa Cordero and Tatiana Diva Blanco on the Agents of Change in Environmental Justice podcast to discuss racialized beauty ideals and how to confront them.
Dr. Candis Hunter joins the Agents of Change in Environmental Justice podcast to discuss implementation science and how it can turn research in healthy changes for communities.
Fellows Dr. Valerisa Joe-Gaddy and Dr. Lisbeth Iglesias-Ríos join the Agents of Change in Environmental Justice podcast to discuss what it means to be mothers and health researchers.
Dr. Lisbeth Iglesias-Ríos joins the Agents of Change in Environmental Justice podcast to discuss why we all need to advocate for better workplace conditions for the people that grow our food.
Dr. Beverly Wright joins the Agents of Change in Environmental Justice podcast to discuss her journey as an environmental justice pioneer and how to maintain momentum in the movement as administrations change.
Nsilo Berry joins the Agents of Change in Environmental Justice podcast to discuss hidden toxics lurking in buildings and what sustainable construction looks like.
Dr. Denise Moreno Ramírez joins the Agents of Change in Environmental Justice podcast to discuss how she came to embrace community-centered research, and her research on the hidden toxics in auto shops and beauty salons.
Jewel Jones and Tina Johnson join the Agents of Change in Environmental Justice podcast to discuss how the WE ACT organization uplifts community members and arms them to fight for justice.
Kevin Patterson joins the Agents of Change in Environmental Justice podcast to discuss uranium exposure science, and his own family’s personal experience with the toxic metal.
Alexa White joins the Agents of Change in Environmental Justice podcast to discuss the importance of listening to small-scale farmers around the world.
Dr. Robbie Parks joins the Agents of Change in Environmental Justice podcast to discuss the need to treat destructive storms, hurricanes and typhoons as public health and justice issues.
Tamara Toles O'Laughlin joins the Agents of Change in Environmental Justice podcast to discuss the Glass Cliff phenomenon, how organizations fail to support diverse leaders, and how we can reimagine environmental leadership.
JoRee LaFrance joins the Agents of Change in Environmental Justice podcast to discuss her deep roots in the Crow Tribe of Montana — and how she’s pairing research and advocacy to better her community.
Marissa Chan joins the Agents of Change in Environmental Justice podcast to discuss endocrine-disrupting chemicals in personal care products and how we can start to tackle these harmful exposures.
Gabriel Gadsden joins the Agents of Change in Environmental Justice podcast to discuss the intersection of rodent infestations and energy justice and how we can simultaneously tackle both issues.
Carolyn Ramírez joins the Agents of Change in Environmental Justice podcast to discuss the importance of old growth trees and the environmental justice implications of forest management.
In our year-in-review show we speak with assistant editor María Paula Rubiano A. about her path to environmental reporting, and fellows Alexa White and Dr. Robbie Parks recap their experience at COP27 in Egypt.
Dr. Valerisa Joe-Gaddy joins the Agents of Change in Environmental Justice podcast to discuss the importance of including Indigenous people in water management decisions.
Beau Taylor Morton joins the Agents of Change in Environmental Justice podcast to discuss tapping into and listening to community power.
Ashley James joins the Agents of Change in Environmental Justice podcast to discuss reframing how we think about children’s health, and what organizers and regulators can learn from each other.
Hannah Seo joins the Agents of Change in Environmental Justice podcast to discuss health and wellness reporting and the importance of support networks for journalists of color.
Ogonnaya Dotson Newman joins the Agents of Change in Environmental Justice podcast to discuss the changing landscape of philanthropy and how it can be a powerful tool for environmental justice.
Senior Agents of Change fellow Michelle Gin speaks with Michael Xiong of the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency about the dangers of skin lightening products that contain mercury.
Dr. Ashley Gripper joins the Agents of Change in Environmental Justice podcast to discuss how gardening and farming increase community healing and personal agency in Black communities and beyond.
Dr. Annie Belcourt joins the Agents of Change in Environmental Justice podcast to discuss using psychology to address the unique mental health challenges and issues in U.S. Indigenous communities.
Dr. Max Aung joins the Agents of Change in Environmental Justice podcast to discuss the dangers of some everyday chemicals to our health—and how regulation hasn’t kept up with these threats.
Dr. Diana Hernández joins the Agents of Change in Environmental Justice podcast to discuss how housing and energy impact our health and well-being.
Dr. Jennifer D. Roberts joins the Agents of Change in Environmental Justice podcast to discuss nature as medicine for our physical and mental health.
Brenda Trejo Rosas joins the Agents of Change in Environmental Justice podcast to discuss how public health can move beyond treating race as a mere data point.
Dr. Carlos Rodriguez-Diaz joins the Agents of Change in Environmental Justice podcast to talk about how we can learn from COVID to make our infectious disease responses more effective and equitable.
Senior Agents of Change fellows Enjoli Hall and Tatiana "Tots" Height discuss what drew them to urban planning and how they envision the field could better center the histories and lived experiences of Black communities.
El’gin Avila joins the Agents of Change in Environmental Justice podcast to discuss how the gig economy has upended what we think of workers health and rights.
Dr. Rupa Marya and Dr. Raj Patel join the Agents of Change in Environmental Justice podcast to talk about how practitioners of modern medicine and public health are trained to be technicians rather than healers.
Enjoli Hall joins the Agents of Change in Environmental Justice podcast to discuss supporting community care through urban planning.
Rodrigo Alatriste-Diaz joins the Agents of Change in Environmental Justice podcast to discuss environmental justice and labor rights in California’s San Joaquin Valley.
Former Agents of Change fellows Dr. Lariah Edwards and Dr. Theresa Guillette discuss what it’s been like for them as women of color navigating the environmental health field.
Cielo Sharkus joins the Agents of Change in Environmental Justice podcast to discuss how the field of civil engineering can help combat environmental injustice and better engage with communities.
Theresa Guillette joins the Agents of Change in Environmental Justice podcast to discuss her research on alligators and fish as sentinel species for environmental health, and how PFAS are moving through our ecosystems.
Former Agents of Change fellows Azmal Hossan and Cielo Sharkus speak with Hossan's mentor, Dr. Katharine Hayhoe about climate change science and communication.
Former Agents of Change fellow Cielo Sharkus speaks with her mentor Dr. Johanna vanderSpek about her career and the role she's played in helping women of color pursue science.
Annie Hoang joins the Agents of Change in Environmental Justice podcast to discuss how the U.S. fails workers when it comes to toxic exposures, and how researchers can advocate for safer workplaces.
Lorraine N. Vélez-Torres joins the Agents of Change in Environmental Justice podcast to discuss fungal spores and why they are an acute problem in Puerto Rico.
Nayamin Martinez joins the Agents of Change in Environmental Justice podcast to discuss advocating for farmworker health and workplace protections in California's Central Valley.
A look back at our favorite podcast moments from the past year — and an exciting announcement!
Gavin Rienne joins the Agents of Change in Environmental Justice podcast to discuss what children’s health can tell us about a community’s natural disaster preparedness.
Dr. Lariah Edwards joins the Agents of Change in Environmental Justice podcast to discuss how inadequate and outdated chemical regulation is leaving us all exposed to harmful compounds in our makeup, food wrappers, and other products
Dr. Daniel Carrión joins the Agents of Change in Environmental Justice podcast to discuss inequities in global energy access and how an increase in heat waves is worsening this injustice.
Dr. Max Aung and Dr. Tracey Woodruff join the Agents of Change in Environmental Justice podcast to how and why they use their science to drive policy change on harmful environmental chemicals.
Dr. Carlos Gould joins the Agents of Change in Environmental Justice podcast to discuss the environmental justice implications of indoor biomass burning and air pollution.
Dr. Pallavi Pant joins the Agents of Change in Environmental Justice podcast to discuss combatting air pollution in India, and how she’s working to elevate the voices of fellow female scientists.
Azmal Hossan joins the Agents of Change in Environmental Justice podcast to discuss climate change and the ongoing water crisis in Bangladesh.
Tatiana (Tots) Height, joins the Agents of Change in Environmental Justice podcast to discuss importance of urban planning when thinking of environmental health, and how’s she pushing for equity in environmental access and education.
Dr. Ami Zota and Dr. Yoshira Ornelas Van Horne discuss Netflix's "The Chair" and what it says about diversity in academia.
Deniss Martinez joins the Agents of Change in Environmental Justice podcast to discuss the importance of incorporating Indigenous knowledge into wildfire management.
Dr. MỹDzung Chu joins the Agents of Change in Environmental Justice podcast to discuss the intersection of housing security and public health.
The microphone is turned today as host Brian Bienkowski joins the Agents of Change in Environmental Justice podcast to discuss environmental justice reporting, how this podcast came together, and plans to grow the program.
Agents of Change fellow Abrania Marrero spoke to her parents and younger sister about where they are from and how the people and places dearest to them have shaped their identity. You'll hear from Luz, Abraham, and Fabiola shed light on their own lives and what is, perhaps, a more universal experience--living away from home. Hear their voices, their stories, and feel the power of place.
Kartik Amarnath joins the Agents of Change in Environmental Justice podcast to discuss his work and advocacy in community self-determination, empowerment, and environmental justice.
Misbath Daouda joins the Agents of Change in Environmental Justice podcast to discuss the importance of incorporating community input, knowledge, and advocacy at every step of clean energy research.
Dr. Regan Patterson joins the Agents of Change in Environmental Justice podcast to discuss her research and advocacy for transportation reparations and justice.
Dr. Reginald Tucker-Seeley joins the Agents of Change in Environmental Justice podcast to discuss what impacts our health beyond lifestyle choices, and how racism remains a significant threat to public health.
Dr. Jamaji Nwanaji-Enwerem joins the Agents of Change in Environmental Justice podcast to discuss his wide-ranging training in environmental research, medicine, and public policy and how he plans to use all of it to make people and communities healthier.
Agents of Change founder and director Dr. Ami Zota sat down with Dr. Shanna Swan and Annie Hoang to discuss fertility, environmental chemicals, and reproductive justice.
Abrania Marrero joins the Agents of Change in Environmental Justice podcast to discuss the increasing push for food security and sovereignty in Puerto Rico, and how the island’s relationship with the U.S. mainland has impacted its residents’ health.
Dr. Veena Singla joins the Agents of Change in Environmental Justice podcast to discuss the often-arduous path of turning science into policy, and finding confidence and a voice as a scientist.
April Ballard joins the Agents of Change in Environmental Justice podcast to discuss finding her identity as a researcher, and her human-centered approach to science and community outreach.
Dr. Yoshira Ornelas Van Horne joins the Agents of Change in Environmental Justice podcast to discuss breaking down barriers in receiving her Ph.d. and the importance of centering research on the health of communities.
Krystal Vasquez joins the Agents of Change in Environmental Justice podcast to discuss her work as a chemist teasing out the big impacts from tiny compounds, and the often-neglected intersection of pollution and people with disabilities.
Oreoluwa Badaki joins the Agents of Change in Environmental Justice podcast to discuss her work as an educator around the world, and the importance of “cultural ways of knowing and being.”
Brianna VanNoy joins the Agents of Change in Environmental Justice podcast to discuss her experiences and work on representation in research, and bridging the worlds of medicine and health justice.
Dana Williamson joins the Agents of Change in Environmental Justice podcast to discuss the crucial role of social science in examining the impact of environmental justice research and on-the-ground work.
Michelle Gin joined the podcast and talked about being a first-generation college graduate, what it’s like working with businesses while also holding them accountable, and strategies for communicating environmental risk to different populations.
Ans Irfan joined the Agents of Change in Environmental Justice podcast to talk about his path from Pakistan to public health—and how the field can and should place equity and justice at its core.
EHN.org and The George Washington University Milken Institute School of Public Health bring you the voices of next generation environmental health leaders. In episode 1, Agents of Change in Environmental Justice editor Brian Bienkowski speaks with founder and program director Ami Zota.