The Environmental Justice Research Group is a community-engaged research team led by Associate Professor or Urban & Environmental Policy Bhavna Shamasunder.
The Environmental Justice Research Group studies environmental injustice in low-income communities and communities of color, focusing on neighborhood oil drilling, beauty product exposures, air pollution, and cumulative health burdens. We work with community partners and train undergraduate students in community-based research.
Community-engaged research focuses on community experiences and collaborates with affected communities to craft research questions on local issues. It involves partnering with frontline groups, residents, and organizations to amplify community voices and ensure data reflects their lived experiences, prioritizing accessible report-back of our results to our partners and participants.
Environmental justice aims to create healthy, safe environments for all, regardless of race, income, or identity. It addresses disproportionate harm faced by BIPOC communities and recognizes that this environmental racism is rooted in the historical context and present-day continuation of racism and colonialism. Led by grassroots efforts, this fight collaborates with several other movements including workers' rights, civil rights, environmentalism, and feminism.
Guided by rigorous research and a moral compass, Associate Professor Bhavna Shamasunder exposes the environmental injustices affecting the health of Angelenos.
Associate Professor and Chair, Urban and Environmental Policy