Scholar Activism

I serve as the Director of the Climate Justice Field School, which was first conceived during COVID lockdown in June 2020 and finally came to fruition in May 2024. The four-month-long program helps to expand the community of thinkers and doers committed to climate justice in the Philadelphia region. It does so by connecting passionate and talented Temple undergraduate students with community-oriented organizations working to address wide-ranging environmental injustices, including uneven flood risk, poor air quality, and heat-related hazards, among others. The Field School takes a holistic 3-part approach by offering 10-week-long paid internships, bi-weekly professional development and community-development sessions, and a Community Showcase during which interns and their hosts share out their work. We are thrilled to be concluding this year’s program on September 6th at Charles Library and are indebted to Temple’s Office of the Vice President for Research and Center for Sustainable Communities for funding this effort.

Public Engagement

When I’m not teaching or doing research, I often engage in informal outreach through career fairs, campus tours, guest lectures, and teach-ins (see upcoming events). I am also committed to making educational resources available to classroom teachers. My articles in Science Scope (2011) and The Science Teacher (2010) provide lesson materials that I developed as a marine science educator at the University of Hawaii. Similarly, my articles on international water conflicts (Education About Asia, 2017) and the transboundary dimensions of water security (Geography Review, 2019) provide helpful resources for high school and undergraduate educators to facilitate discussion about resource disputes and international politics.

Multi-media outreach

Visual media are another important way to engage diverse audiences. I was interviewed by UK geography teacher Ellie Hopkins for her YouTube channel, The Curious Geographer, during which we discussed multiple aspects of water security at various scales (clip above left). I also designed an interactive riparian ecology activity to supplement the fantastic Freshwater Mussel Hatchery exhibit at the Fairmount Water Works in Philadelphia (image above right). As the co-lead on a trans-Pacific research cruise (2008), I helped communicate our work on marine debris through a mini-documentary (below) that was screened at various venues, including the BLUE Ocean Film Festival.