bunyan bryant

The Legacy of Bunyan Bryant

By Lori Atherton

University of Michigan School for Environment and Sustainability (SEAS) Professor Emeritus Bunyan Bryant, a pioneer in the field of environmental justice who helped to establish the nation’s first environmental justice program at the school, died at home in Ann Arbor on March 28, 2024, from cancer. He was 89. Bryant shepherded and inspired countless social and racial justice advocates in his four decades at U-M. Here, former students share how he influenced them.

I arrived at SEAS as an undergrad in the mid-1990s, a bundle of energy ready to immerse myself in a community where I could dive deeper into my long-time environmental passion. I was fortunate that in my very first days I was placed into a mentorship group with Bunyan Bryant, as he would forever shape my life path. He gave me the confidence to bring my big dreams into reality, and if it wasn’t for him, I wouldn’t have created Growing Hope, the nonprofit I founded and led for many years. Sitting in his office, wide eyes and talking a mile a minute, he listened to me exuding visions of environmental justice through putting seeds in soil and helping them grow, and unlike many others, he was nothing but supportive. Bunyan exemplified living his values—justice, optimism, collaboration and connectedness. I am sure I speak for many who feel equally fortunate that we had the chance to learn from his leadership, mentorship and love. We will hold him with us always, and carry his work forward.—Amanda Maria Edmonds (BS ’00, MS ’05)

I was a student of Bunyan’s 40 years ago, and considered him a mentor and friend. He was unlike any teacher or professor I’d ever had and left an indelible impression. He found ways to prepare us to take on powerful economic and political forces, inspiring his students to stand proudly and humbly in the struggle for justice. Years later, I came to work for the Ecology Center, an organization marked by Bunyan’s influence. He had participated in the first Teach-In on the Environment in 1970, which led to the center’s formation. He served as one of our first board members, and we worked in partnership when he published his disproportionate impacts research in the early 1990s. To his final days, he’d been a teacher and collaborator with most of the long-term staff at the Ecology center. But what I’ll remember above all else was Bunyan’s welcoming and loving spirit.—Mike Garfield (BGS ’84)

He was unlike any teacher or professor I’d ever had and left an indelible impression.”

Bunyan was amazing with students and inspired many of us to develop competence to do environmental justice work. He was the first person I met at the School of Natural Resources (SNR) in 1991. I was wandering the hallway and he invited me into his office. We ended up having a conversation about Kingian nonviolence, which has shaped my life and career to the present day. I credit Bunyan for instigating my early involvement in EJ at SNR and my experience of the early EJ movement during the Michigan Coalition meetings. He introduced me to Grace Lee Boggs and other national leaders of the movement. Most importantly, he got me out speaking to people in Sumpter Township about their experiences living next to the landfill. In the process, I also met farmers who were losing their family homesteads due to similar socioeconomic processes. I cannot thank him enough for his unbending support, good-natured tenacity in the face of any adversity, and clarity of focus as an example to create a future that embraces both people and climate justice as a single, fundamentally achievable goal.—Karen DeGannes (MS ’91, PhD ’13)

Bunyan and I became good friends during his transition into the School of Natural Resources in the early 1970s. We went on a 10-day road trip in the Northern Rockies visiting coal mines, American Indian reservations and rancher anti-coal groups. We developed a special and enduring friendship from that opportunity. Later, Bunyan contacted me to discuss his developing the Environmental Justice program. This all resulted in a very special friendship we had together until his passing.—Bill Bryan (MS ’67, PhD ’72)

Bunyan’s academic, political and teaching accomplishments are exemplary and enduring. I believe Bunyan’s true superpower was his ability to wholeheartedly “show up” to listen, learn, laugh and be empathic. There have been numerous times in my career and life where Bunyan offered me council, consulted with organizations where I was staff, offered me opportunities for professional growth and just called to check in. I am certain my experience is not unique. Bunyan was a gift and inspiration to us all!—Pamela Mavrolas (MS ’77)

Drawn to one of Dr. Bryant’s courses in 1984 due to the connection between social change and natural resources, I had no idea what a lasting impact the curriculum and the professor would have on my life. A pioneer in an arena that was once unrecognized and is now part of our vernacular, his work has impacted thousands of students, his peers, the academy, the environmental movement and, indeed, the course of history. The Biden-Harris administration’s Justice40 Initiative can be traced back to Dr. Bryant’s relentless work to connect social and economic justice to public health. His passion for the issues, deep belief in peaceful protest and steady determination to persevere in often extraordinarily challenging circumstances has been a model for me and countless others who have struggled to make sense of the vast disparities in this country. Dr. Bryant’s work shaped the trajectory of my career, and for that I am fortunate and grateful.—Lisa Wozniak (BA ’87, MA/MSW ’93)

The week that Bunyan passed I had mentioned his influence on my academic career to a graduate student who was thinking of going into a doctoral program. I pointed to the magazine picture of Bunyan that I have framed in my office and talked about how important it is to have a dissertation advisor who is also a mentor and your strongest advocate. I teach Research Methods for Sustainability. The previous week’s lecture was on qualitative methodology. I presented my dissertation work on community-based activism within an environmental justice frame around the siting of a waste-to-energy facility in Flint, Michigan, as a case study on using qualitative research methods, and I mentioned Bunyan’s guidance as my dissertation chair on the project. So, I talked about Bunyan twice that week to my students. This is a testimony that he is always with me, and I will continue to keep his presence in my heart and mind the rest of my days.
—Joseph W. Dorsey (PhD ’99)

Read more about the life and legacy of Bunyan Bryant

More Stories from the Magazine

Table of Contents
Smoke from the Canadian wildfires created hazy skies near the Mackinac Bridge in June 2023.

"The Great Lakes University"

U-M is a major convener of Great Lakes research thanks to its interdisciplinary efforts to address climate change and other problems. SEAS is a microcosm of that work because of its Great Lakes research centers and institutes; collaborations with other U-M units; and expansive partnerships with organizations within Ann Arbor, the region, and spanning the U.S., Canada and other countries. What this means, according to SEAS Dean Jonathan Overpeck, is that U-M is well-positioned to be “The Great Lakes University.”

Jennifer Blesh

Meet the Future of Sustainable Food Systems: A Focus on Soil Health and Crop Diversity

Soil degradation threatens our ecosystems and climate, and thus the future of food access. To be sustainable, ecological processes will need to be managed using species diversity to sustain production and support important functions including restoring soil health, which is the focus of research being conducted by SEAS Associate Professor Jennifer Blesh alongside students and other collaborators.

The U-M team disembarks on the island of Mikro Ftheno for sampling. The larger island of Anafi is in the background.

Island Biology: “A Lot of Bang for Your Conservation Buck”

Islands offer boundless opportunities to inform basic ecological science and applied conservation biology, and are integral to protecting global biodiversity. For nearly a decade, SEAS Associate Professor Johannes Foufopoulos and his students have studied island biology to identify what endangers resident species and how biodiversity can be protected.