The University of Michigan School for Environment and Sustainability (SEAS) Detroit Sustainability Clinic announces its Fall 2025 Urban Sustainability & Justice Faculty Fellow, Myles Lennon from Brown University.

The Urban Sustainability & Justice Faculty Fellowship invites academic scholars from external institutions to spend part of the semester engaging with both U-M and Detroit communities. Fellows host public lectures and meet with faculty, staff, students and community partners, sharing insights that bridge academic and community perspectives. Through these exchanges, the program fosters robust knowledge sharing to advance community-driven, equitable sustainability solutions. 

Lennon, the Dean's Assistant Professor of Environment & Society and Anthropology at Brown University, and author of the book, Subjects of the Sun: Solar Energy in the Shadows of Racial Capitalism, will visit Ann Arbor and Detroit from November 6-8, engaging in conversations on energy justice and sustainability, and connecting with community organizations advancing this work on the ground in Detroit. 

“We are honored and excited to welcome Dr. Lennon to the U-M SEAS Detroit Sustainability Clinic as our Fall 2025 Urban Sustainability & Justice Faculty Fellow,” said Clinic Director and SEAS Associate Professor Tony Reames.

Lennon, who holds a PhD in Anthropology and Forestry & Environmental Studies from Yale University, conducts ethnographic research on solar energy deployment, forestry and agricultural land stewardship in urban and rural communities of color in the United States. 

“My ethnographic research shows that effective on-the-ground work for climate justice is often less about achieving utopic ideals of sustainability and more about strategically navigating the contradictions of environmental governance that paradoxically operates through extractivism, land enclosures, and labor exploitation,” Lennon said. “While we often shy away from these contradictions, my work suggests that we can amplify our impact when we acknowledge them.”

Beyond his academic work, Lennon brings nearly a decade of social and environmental justice organizing experience. His commitment to environmental justice was shaped by his upbringing in a working-class community of color in New York City, bisected by highways and lacking green space. He taught hip-hop and prison abolition theory to incarcerated youth, organized coalitions of environmental justice organizations and labor unions to build a more equitable green economy, and helped design and implement the landmark Green Jobs Green New York Act (2010)—a statewide energy policy that expanded clean energy access for low- and moderate-income communities. He later helped pilot community-based energy efficiency programs that leveraged economies of scale to benefit marginalized New Yorkers.

These experiences continue to shape Lennon’s approach to environmental justice, grounding his scholarship in the belief that lasting change comes from collaboration among scholars, organizers, and community leaders. “I’m truly honored to be in dialogue with and contribute to a thriving community of equity-oriented practitioners who draw from both community knowledge and academic resources to address the environmental challenges facing marginalized communities,” said Lennon.

Lennon’s work offers valuable insight into how equity and justice can be integrated into decisions that affect our environment and energy landscape. “We’re excited for the insights Dr. Lennon will bring and for the collaborations that will emerge during his visit,” said Reames. “The Urban Sustainability & Justice Faculty Fellowship allows us to strengthen university-community relationships. Bridging academic research and community-led sustainability work is what we do.”

Read more about Lennon on his website at https://www.myleslennon.com/about

The University of Michigan School for Environment and Sustainability (SEAS) Detroit Sustainability Clinic is an innovative hub where faculty, students, and staff collaborate with local governments, community-based organizations, and businesses, to advance Detroit’s most urgent sustainability opportunities. Centering community priorities, the Clinic fosters meaningful and lasting change through deep listening, trust-building, and authentic partnerships. Guided by SEAS’ mission, we work to strengthen the capacity of local governments, nonprofits, and enterprises serving Detroit to respond to climate change, while equipping students with hands-on experience and real-world training that drives tangible impact.