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Fall 2022

A Man of Energy
10 Questions: Associate Professor Bilal Butt
A Champion for Justice
A Lifelong Passion for Trees
Carlson’s Fishery: Leaving its Mark on the Local Economy and Michigan’s Waters
Class Notes
Dean’s Letter
Developing Water Policy Solutions that Ensure a Just and Resilient Future
Environmentally Safe Pest Control
Faculty Accolades
FishPass Project Draws Inspiration From Single-Stream Recycling
Fostering Human-Tiger Coexistence in Nepal
Freshwater is ‘the Root’ That Connects This Area
Leading Sustainability-Focused Education
Mobility and Transportation Design
Nurturing Environmental Justice Activists
Pairing Solar Development With Innovative Land Management
Program in the Environment Celebrates 20 Years
Protecting the Diversity of Fish in the Great Lakes
Research Highlights
Righting Wrongs in Society
SEAS Releases First National Framework Designed to Measure and Advance Energy Equity
SEAS Travel Photo Contest
Studying Trees for Clues About Climate Change
Summer Discussion Series
Supporting Actionable Energy Solutions
The Forever Business: Conservation Leader Glen Chown
Yearbook

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SEAS Connect is a monthly e-newsletter that brings alumni, students, faculty, and friends even closer together. In every issue, you’ll read about what your classmates are up to, hear from your favorite professors, find out what’s going on in the Dana Building, and learn how to get involved.

 
back to Stewards

Righting Wrongs in Society

By Nayiri Mullinix

At SEAS, Jada Koushik (MS ’08) had the opportunity to work with Professors Bunyan Bryant and Rebecca Hardin, which had a significant impact on the trajectory of her career. Although much of it was spent working in public health, Koushik’s work has always centered on environmental justice.

Koushik earned a master’s degree in public health from Tulane University in 2002 and, in her career as an epidemiologist, was focused on communicable diseases and lead poisoning. In 2008, after graduating from SEAS, her family moved to Canada, where she has worked and studied since. For several years she continued to work in public health but eventually decided it Jada Koushikwas time to pursue a PhD, which she earned in June 2022 from the University of Saskatchewan’s School of Environment and Sustainability.

“I’ve always seen the connection between public health, sustainability and environmental justice. Every little step I’ve taken has been building on my experiences, and I see the culmination of that in my PhD,” says Koushik. “For my PhD research, I looked at sustainability education and place (the land you live on and how that matters), working closely with school districts in Canada to learn what they were doing to promote sustainability, green spaces and engagement with Indigenous communities.”

Koushik’s research revealed that schools were focused on the basics, such as recycling, but were doing next to nothing to engage local and Indigenous communities. Her research supported the need for a dedicated dialogue between educators, administrators and students about social and cultural dimensions of place, especially territorial acknowledgment, and possibly a more formal curriculum to reinforce these messages to support whole-school approaches to sustainability.

Koushik is now a postdoc at Wilfrid Laurier University. Her research focuses on anti-racism and oppression. She asks questions about experiences of racism on campus, how it has impacted individual health and how it spills over into personal lives. “What I find heartbreaking is that across all participant types—deans, faculty, students, staff—they say, ‘I’m so happy somebody is letting me speak and is listening to me.’ Since racism and discrimination are my focus, I hear stories about what they have to deal with and the lasting effects on their lives and work, including how their experiences can impact whether or not they continue with higher education. This isn’t exactly environmental justice, but I feel that it’s in line since I am still working to right wrongs in society,” says Koushik.

In addition to her research, Koushik is formulating modules for anti-racism work on campus and also teaching an environmental justice course at Waterloo University. “I love research and that type of interaction, but my highest passion is teaching,” says Koushik. “I often think about how, at SEAS, I worked with the most inspiring teachers who are some of the biggest names in environmental justice. Working with such highly regarded and respected people who are so grounded had such an impact on me and my career. My experiences at SEAS were priceless and invaluable and continue to inspire me to this day. I received a foundation that I’ve been able to build upon as I progress through my career.”

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