Any lasting solution to climate change must account for historical and ongoing inequities created through structures of oppression. This is true whether one is studying global issues or local impacts. 

 

This seminar provides researchers with the intellectual tools to weave considerations of justice and equity into their research agenda and practices. It will also be a place to engage in radical cross-disciplinary discussions that will enable students to consider social, cultural, and political factors, along with the biological, environmental, and technical. 

 

Graduate students from all fields are invited to participate. We welcome scientists of every sort as well as artists, engineers, designers, humanities scholars, and sociocultural researchers.  Those not working in climate sciences but who are interested in integrating equity and justice more deeply into their research are also welcome.

 

The seminar will cover topics such as: historical bias in research, colonialism and white supremacy in science, Indigenous knowledges, working with Tribal nations, equity in modeling, community-participatory research, visionary fiction as method, environmental and climate justice, quantification of nature, positionality, and conducting transdisciplinary research. 

 

The course will be a mix of lecture, discussion, and research design. Students will have the opportunity to meet guest speakers and complete a final project that applies the topics discussed to their field or research. 

 

Those who complete the seminar will be eligible to become paid trained facilitators for an abbreviated version of the course in Fall 2023.