HBCU-Berkeley Environmental Scholars for Change

Environmental Justice: Agri-Food Systems, Biodiversity, Climate, Water, and Health

Agricultural intensification and food sovereignty, climate change, biodiversity loss, and water scarcity are all intersecting crises that humanity must address. These so-called “wicked problems” cannot be solved with linear solutions and instead demand an interdisciplinary perspective and systems thinking. Further, since these crises have inequitable impacts and roots that include settler mindsets of extraction and racialized capitalism, advancing justice must be integral to any solutions. Addressing these intersecting and deeply-rooted challenges requires committed changemakers whose perspectives and experiences reflect those who are most deeply affected. The Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management (ESPM) is a multidisciplinary program that recognizes the urgency of the task at hand, and the enormous opportunities to work toward transformative change. ESPM includes two natural science divisions (Ecosystem Sciences and Organisms & Environment) and a social science division (Society & Environment), fostering collaboration in research, teaching, and PhD training.

Programming Commitment

With the overarching goal of preparing participants for doctoral education in interdisciplinary environmental sciences and a sense of belonging at UC Berkeley, the fellowship program consists of the following components:

Research Projects

Visiting scholars will work with faculty mentors as well as PhD students and/or postdoctoral researchers from their labs. The program contacts at each school work with visiting scholars and faculty mentors to match projects based on mutual interests. Learn about the summer 2026 research projects here.

• Lab Research Project: Scholars work alongside their faculty mentor and other lab members for ~30 hours per week on an ongoing research project, in which students and faculty co-define a set of research questions that are tractable for a summer project. As two months is too short to conduct a study from start to finish, the goal here is to advance skills in research design itself, as well as technical skills and teamwork. Scholars will develop specific and general research skills related to the projects, such as data analysis software (e.g., R, Python), social science research methods (e.g., interviews, content analysis), etc.

• Weekly Project Meetings: Faculty and other lab members work with visiting scholars and mentees’ home advisors to support them in ideating their unique contribution to the diverse field of environmental sciences. Weekly meetings will focus on developing strong research questions, identifying project parameters and relevant literature, and thinking through the specific methodological tools necessary to conduct the project.

• Research Showcase: At the end of the program scholars present their research in a public symposium together with all participants in the UC Berkeley Inclusive Excellence Summer Research Experience.

Cohort Skill-Building

• Workshops: The program includes an array of graduate school preparedness and environmental science-specific skill-building workshops, such as conducting interdisciplinary research.

• Cohort Meetings: Program staff hold 1:1 meetings with each scholar to support them throughout the summer program. The full cohort also has occasional check in opportunities.

Developing a Community of Belonging

The program provides extensive mentorship activities that foster relationships with Black faculty, staff, and graduate students at Berkeley and connect participants with vibrant Black environmental and cultural spaces in the Bay Area and beyond, including:

• Social Gatherings: The program hosts a welcome BBQ and social activities with UC Berkeley student groups such as the ESPM Graduate Diversity Council, Black Graduate Engineering and Science Students, Black Students in Public Policy, Berkeley Student Farms, and others.

• Informal Lunches with Black Scholars at UC Berkeley: Each week the cohort has lunch with Black faculty, staff, and graduate students in diverse environmental science fields. These gatherings are opportunities for “real talk” about the Berkeley experience and developing a mentorship network.

• Field Trips: Scholars garner exposure to a range of post-graduate environmental science career tracks in academia and community organizations through field trips to research labs, museums, parks, and environmental and food justice organizations.

Post Program Mentorship

Beyond their summer in Berkeley, scholars have the opportunity to continue to work with their research mentors, such as presenting at national conferences and co-authoring peer-reviewed publications. Faculty commit to staying engaged with scholars to discuss applications to graduate programs, write letters of recommendation, and/or discuss and provide feedback on undergraduate or masters theses.

What Program Alums Are Saying

"I truly loved this experience! It was my first time being away from my family for such an extended period, but my time at Berkeley was incredibly rewarding. This program offered valuable insight into what it’s like to be a graduate student at UC Berkeley. From the meaningful connections I made in the lab to the engaging lunch discussions and workshops, every aspect of the experience was invaluable. I would absolutely recommend this program and do it again in a heartbeat. I hope to one day return to California for graduate school." ~ Nzaria Scales (2025)

"I can say it over and over again. The program was so awesome. That was a legendary summer, just legendary." ~ Eyan Idohl (2025)

Program Contacts

University of California, Berkeley

• Rosalie Zdzienicka Fanshel, Postdoctoral Scholar, Environmental Science, Policy, and Management: rzfanshel@berkeley.edu

• Damian Elias, Professor, William M. and Esther G. Schlinger Chair in Systematic Entomology: doelias@berkeley.edu
• Timothy Bowles, (on sabbatical 2025–2026) Associate Professor, Agroecology and Sustainable Agricultural Systems: timothy.bowles@berkeley.edu

Spelman College

• Kimberly Jackson, Professor, Chemistry and Biochemistry and Food Studies: kjackson@spelman.edu

• James Daria, Assistant Professor, Sociology and Anthropology and Food Studies: jamesdaria@spelman.edu

• Patrice Cuff, Program Coordinator, Food Studies: patricecuff@spelman.edu

Tuskegee University

• Desmond Mortley, Research Professor, Plant and Soil Science: dmortley@tuskegee.edu

• Robert Zabawa, Research Professor, Agricultural and Resource Economics: rzabawa@tuskegee.edu

• Rashidah Farid, Research Assistant Professor, Wildlife Ecology: rfarid@tuskegee.edu

Top banner photos, left to right: 1: 2022 participant Massa Godbold measures soil nitrogen concentrations for a project focused on compost and water quality. (Photo by Bowles Lab); 2: 2023 participant Carlos Jackson conducting research (Photo by Mathew Burciaga); 3: Julia Toro, MF ’21 Forestry, discusses plants with program participants and other collaborators during an outing to Planting Justice Nursery (Photo by Julie Gipple); 4: 2023 participant Christopher Bass presents his research (Photo by Mathew Burciaga).