Dorceta Taylor appointed Wangari Maathai Professor of Environmental Justice

A pioneering scholar, Dorceta Taylor has dedicated her career to dismantling barriers and fostering inclusivity within the environmental movement.
Dorceta Taylor
Dorceta Taylor

Dorceta Taylor, a pioneering scholar who has dedicated her career to dismantling barriers and fostering inclusivity within the environmental movement, has been appointed the Wangari Maathai Professor of Environmental Justice, effective immediately.

She has been a member of the faculty at Yale School of the Environment (YSE) since 2021. Before that she was the James E. Crowfoot Collegiate Professor of Environmental Justice at the University of Michigan.

The endowed professorship was established to honor the legacy of the late Wangari Maathai, a Nobel Prize-winning environmental leader and human rights advocate who founded the Green Belt Movement in Kenya.

Taylor's career has been marked by groundbreaking research and leadership in the areas of institutional diversity, workforce dynamics in the environmental sector, and environmental justice. Her seminal 2014 study on diversity within environmental organizations catalyzed a nationwide introspection and commitment to inclusivity, echoing Maathai's own advocacy for participatory democracy and sustainable development.

During her career, Taylor has demonstrated an ability to bridge academic rigor with practical impact. Her scholarly contributions extend beyond her impactful studies on diversity. Her books — including “Toxic Communities: Environmental Racism, Industrial Pollution, and Residential Mobility” and “The Environment and the People in American Cities” — are cornerstone texts in environmental justice literature, providing critical insights into the intersections of race, class, and environmental policy. Her leadership in the creation of the Doris Duke Conservation Scholars Program and the Environmental Fellows Program has paved pathways for underrepresented students into environmental careers. These programs have brought participants from across the country to YSE and fostered new connections with over 20 funding foundations, more than 40 environmental organizations, and government agencies.

Taylor has received numerous honors and awards, including the 2020 Wilbur Lucius Cross Medal from Yale Graduate School of Arts and Sciences and induction as an Honorary Fellow in the American College of Environmental Lawyers. Her work has not only advanced the field of environmental justice but has also inspired countless students and scholars to pursue equity and sustainability in their endeavors.

As the inaugural senior associate dean of diversity, equity, and inclusion at YSE, Taylor has demonstrated exceptional leadership and commitment to recruiting and mentoring a diverse group of students and scholars. Under her guidance, the representation of underrepresented students in the school’s environmental STEM doctoral program grown significantly, reflecting her ability to effect systemic change and foster an inclusive academic environment, said YSE Dean Indy Burke.

In 2022-2023, she obtained funding from 19 foundations, including multi-year grants from the New York Community Trust, the William Penn Foundation, and the McKnight Foundation, totaling over $125,000, $75,000, and $42,000, respectively, for the Environmental Fellows Program. Furthermore, her efforts have led to substantial support from the JPB Foundation, with grants amounting to $3,000,000 for the Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Sustainability Initiative, and an additional $3,300,000 for research and program support.

She is also a valued teacher and mentor at YSE. She has also taught several popular courses, including “Poverty, Environment, and Inequality,” which is a core course in the school’s “People, Equity, and the Environment” specialization.  She also offers a course in “Food Systems” and a “Justice, Equity, Diversity & Sustainability” lab. In just four years, she has advised 20 master’s level students and served as an advisor to seven master’s theses. She currently advises three doctoral students.

She has also served in various environmental and academic organizations, including as a board member of EarthDay.org. She is also the editor of the upcoming Environmental Justice Encyclopedia, to be published by Sage, and an advisory board member of the American Behavioral Scientist. She has delivered 12 keynote addresses across the country and is regularly interviewed by the popular media, amplifying her voice in the environmental justice conversation. She is also a member in the National Black Environmental Justice Network and the Association of Environmental Studies and Sciences. Her legal expertise in environmental matters is acknowledged through her membership in the American College of Environmental Lawyers. Moreover, she contributes to global environmental policy as an advisory board member of the Global Council for Science and the Environment and plays a pivotal role in shaping future leaders in environmental justice as a member of the Steering Committee for the Cecil Corbin Marks Fellowship at We Act for Environmental Justice.

Taylor earned her Ph.D. in environmental sociology at Yale University.

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