Jill Lindsey听Harrison

  • Professor of Geography
  • Environmental Justice
  • Environmental Politics
  • Political Ecology
  • Agriculture and Food Systems
  • PhD, University of California at Santa Cruz, 2006
  • HUMAN GEOGRAPHY
  • ENVIRONMENT-SOCIETY
Address

听

Grad Students

Annika Hirmke

Research Interests

My research helps identify听the cultural relations and political economic processes that disproportionately听situate听members of racially marginalized, Indigenous, and working-class听communities in dangerous spaces and precarious conditions that听contribute to听inequalities in life opportunity, illness, and death. I also identify ways the听state, social movements, and other institutions can听more effectively redress听those inequalities. I have done so through various cases of environmental and听workplace inequality in the听contemporary United States.

Currently, my research is focused on helping to create stronger public institutions that better support environmental justice (EJ). Notably, I study state and federal environmental regulatory agencies in the United States, and I am especially interested in how regulatory agency staff respond to critiques from anti-regulatory elites and EJ movements. I evaluate how environmental regulatory agencies鈥 practices affect overburdened and vulnerable communities, and I identify regulatory reforms that help state institutions better support those communities. I do so by bringing lessons from political ecology and science and technology studies (STS) into EJ studies. One of my current projects analyzes state-level cumulative impact laws and regulations and the conditions under which they help rectify shortcomings of conventional environmental assessment.

This is part of a broader research project examining听the disappointing pace of environmental regulatory agencies鈥 鈥渆nvironmental听justice鈥澨(EJ) programs and policies as a case through which to understand听why, despite reducing environmental hazards for the nation听overall,听agencies have not improved conditions in places enduring the听greatest environmental burdens. Other scholars have shown that material听factors outside the control of agency staff 鈥 budget cuts, limits to听regulatory authority, industry pressure, and underdeveloped analytical听tools 鈥 constrain the possibilities for EJ reforms to regulatory practice. My听research builds upon that work by demonstrating how听agencies鈥 EJ reform efforts are also undermined by elements of regulatory听workplace culture that transcend changes听in administration.听At the same time,听my publications听and听outreach offer practical suggestions for how agencies can more effectively听reduce environmental听inequalities that deeply affect the lives of so many听Americans, and they show how agencies鈥 EJ staff 鈥 those tasked with developing听EJ听reforms 鈥 endeavor to change both regulatory practice and regulatory culture听from the inside out. You听can read about my research in articles in听,听The听Coloradan, and听.

I have advised U.S. government agencies on their听environmental听justice reform efforts through serving on the National Environmental听Justice Advisory Council of the听U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.听I have been invited to听present my research on the challenges facing government agencies鈥 EJ reform听efforts to the executive听leadership and other staff at numerous environmental听regulatory agencies, including at听the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA),听California EPA, the听California Bay Area Air Quality Management District, the Minnesota听Pollution Control Agency, Minnesota鈥檚 Environmental Quality Board,听the听California Fish and Game Commission, and the California Natural Resources听Agency.

In another recent project, my colleagues and I identified cultural challenges facing universities鈥 efforts to address environmental precarity through 鈥渆ngineering-for-development鈥 (EfD) programs that train engineering students to help solve problems in developing communities, including pertaining to shelter, drinking water access, sanitation, and affordable energy. I conducted this NSF-funded research in collaboration with Shawhin Roudbari (Environmental Design, University of Colorado), Jessica Kaminsky (Engineering, North Carolina State University), Santina Contreras (Public Policy, University of Southern California), and Skye Niles (University of Colorado).

My recent research has been supported by the National Science Foundation, the American听Council of Learned Societies, the American Philosophical Society, and the听University听of Colorado.

I also co-founded and have helped direct 精品SM在线影片鈥檚听Graduate Certificate in Environmental Justice.听

Recent Courses Taught

  • Spring 2024听 GEOG 3782 Environmentalism, Race, and Justice
  • Fall 2023听 GEOG 4772听 The Geography of Food and Agriculture
  • Spring 2023听 GEOG 3782 Environmentalism, Race, and Justice
  • Spring 2023听 GEOG/COMM/ENVS/PSCI 7118听 Environmental Justice鈥
  • Fall 2022听 GEOG 4772听 The Geography of Food and Agriculture

Selected Publications

Updated January 2023