Category: Faculty Spotlight

Professor of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology and Director of the University of Michigan Biological Station Spotlight on the University of Michigan Biological Station (UMBS) Similar to other ecologists, Dr. Aimée Classen grew up hiking and spending time outdoors, but she “didn’t really make the connection until high school that this could be a career.” Dr.…

Associate Professor of Earth and Environmental Sciences and Program in the Environment; DEI Chair for the EARTH Department Principal Investigator at the Plant Evolution, Paleobotany, and Paleoecology Research (PEPPR) Lab Please note that this interview has been condensed and edited for length and clarity. To get started, can you share how you decided to pursue…

Lecturer I in International and Comparative Studies INTLSTD 40: International Studies Advanced Seminar: Global Climate Justice Dr. David Zeglen’s journey began in an oil town in Canada, recalling that he has always had a “sort of interest intellectually in globalization and climate change”, where he witnessed the disproportionate impacts of the industry on Indigenous communities…

Lecturer IV of French, Coordinator for French 101, 102, 103 Spotlight on FRENCH 101: Elementary French & FRENCH 103: Review of Elementary French How can you integrate climate conversations into first-year language courses? Get creative and talk about it! After attending the Embedding Climate Change in Courses (EC3) retreat two summers ago, Dr. Ryan Hendrickson…

Associate Professor of Political Science, Administrative Faculty in Native American Studies Program Spotlight on POLSCI 495: Undergraduate Seminar in Political Theory – Climate Justice: Colonialism, Carbon, and the Future Growing up, Dr. David Temin was no stranger to “having conversations about politics around the kitchen table” as his mom “was always watching Sunday morning news…

Professor of Communication and Media and Program in the Environment Spotlight on COMM 413: Environmental Communication With an undergraduate degree in Environmental Policy, Analysis, and Planning from UC Davis, Professor Sol Hart’s passion for policy and legislative writing determined his initial path after college. During his first experience working in politics in California, in an…

Professor of Afroamerican and African Studies, Affiliated Faculty, Romance Languages and Literatures, and Chair, Department of Afroamerican and African Studies Spotlight on AAS 498: DAAS in Action – Black Ecologies Born and raised in France to a French mother and French Caribbean father, Dr. Bénédicte Boisseron had always been fascinated with African American literature, earning…

Assistant Professor of Afro-American and African Studies, American Culture Spotlight on AAS 104: African American Foodways and AAS 558: The Biopolitics of Food Dr. Jessica Kenyatta Walker’s journey to teaching at the University of Michigan began at the University of Maryland, College Park, where she studied American Studies, specifically material culture or the built environment.…

Assistant Professor of Afro-American and African Studies and Assistant Professor of Program in the Environment Spotlight on ENVIRON 209: Nature and Power: An Introduction to Political Ecology Guided by his curiosity and a passion for experiential learning, Brian Klein charted a unique path to the University of Michigan. Born and raised in Hawai‘i, Klein recalls…

Lecturer in Program in the Environment and the LSA Residential College Spotlight on ENVIRON 302: The Environment in an Election Year and RCCORE 334: Environmental Justice: The View From Capitol Hill Virginia Murphy didn’t begin her academic career with a focus on the environment or sustainability – in fact, she worked as a chef before…