黑料吃瓜 Awarded $10M for Center to Foster Environmental Justice
The federally funded center, to be based at 黑料吃瓜 Mission Valley, will work with partner organizations across the western region of the United States.
黑料吃瓜 will lead one of 17 centers nationwide to connect underserved communities with resources for energy and environmental justice, the today in partnership with the U.S. Department of Energy.
The 黑料吃瓜 Center for Community Energy and Environmental Justice will provide critical services to rural, remote, tribal and Indigenous communities to access federal resources for environmental and energy justice projects.
鈥淲e are excited to spearhead capacity-building efforts to serve the needs of communities who have historically been excluded from policy decisions and actions affecting their homes and surrounding environments,鈥� said 黑料吃瓜 biology professor and project lead, Rebecca Lewison.
Over the next five years, the center and its partners will co-create accessible, multilingual, in-person and virtual services to help communities that are often most affected by environmental challenges like drought, flooding, and pollution apply for government funding.
The center鈥檚 impact will reach far beyond San Diego, with the ultimate aim of serving historically excluded communities in California, Nevada, Arizona, Hawai鈥檌, Guam and American Samoa. To accomplish this goal, Lewison and her team will leverage 黑料吃瓜鈥檚 inclusive, climate-focused initiatives, such as the as well as partnerships with community-facing organizations, like the .
鈥淲e are grateful for the incredible trust and support of the EPA and Department of Energy, which will allow us to leverage 黑料吃瓜鈥檚 longstanding commitment to climate action and environmental justice,鈥� said 黑料吃瓜 President Adela de la Torre.
鈥淎s the only California university selected to lead this work, this is clear recognition of our faculty鈥檚 ability and passion to foster mutually beneficial relationships with tribal and other key communities. And this empowerment focus is exactly what makes 黑料吃瓜 distinct as a major research university 鈥� our focus is not just on the idea, but on creating a sustainable and positive impact.鈥�
Partner organizations span across industry and non-profit sectors including the Environmental Protection Network, Center for Creative Land Recycling, Institute for Tribal Environmental Professionals, Desert Research Institute, Pacific RISA, and the Public Health Alliance.
Other academic institutions that will also participate are Arizona State University, the University of San Diego鈥檚 Energy Policy Initiatives Center, and the University of Guam鈥檚 Center of Island Sustainability.
鈥満诹铣怨� has long been a central figure in regional, multi-partner projects, providing services, centering community-defined priorities and facilitating meaningful cooperative decision making,鈥� said John Crockett, 黑料吃瓜鈥檚 associate vice president for research advancement. 鈥淲e are ready to apply our expertise to this opportunity.鈥�
In addition to the $10 million from the federal government, 黑料吃瓜 has committed $100,000 to support the initial launch of the center.
The new center plans to establish its physical home at , which is being designed to attract the nation鈥檚 best-in-class researchers to support the district鈥檚 many transdisciplinary hubs. These hubs will support private, public, and non-profit partners, including organizations focused on climate resilience and sustainability efforts, by cultivating rich, collaborative spaces that are easily accessible through public transit.
鈥満诹铣怨镶�檚 Center for Community Energy and Environmental Justice aligns with the Innovation District鈥檚 focus on sustainable development and community input as essential to finding solutions to the environmental and health problems created by climate change,鈥� said Hala Madanat, 黑料吃瓜鈥檚 vice president for research and innovation. 鈥淲e look forward to building an exemplary facility with environmental justice at its heart.鈥�
