Announcing the EPM Environmental Justice Scholars co-supported by the Institute of the Environment

by Elena Peters
June 03, 2025

Announcing the Environmental Justice Scholars co-supported by the Institute of the Environment and the Environmental Policy and Management Graduate Program

The UC Davis Institute for the Environment and the Environmental Policy and Management Graduate Program have been supporting 4 scholars each year for the past 4 years, who are pursuing an environmental justice focused practicum project. We are excited to announce the next cohort of Environmental Justice Scholars: Abel Kebasso, Dewansh Matharoo, Carlin Coleman, and Subah Tarannum.

We recognize the importance of environmental justice work and engagement with front-line communities. These groups have limited resources while demand for the knowledge that they provide can be overwhelming. The goal in providing this funding is to provide EPM students with leadership opportunities working with environmental justice and community based organizations, and to build community capacity and to help advance an organization’s mission.

According to the US Environmental Protection Agency, environmental justice “is the fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people regardless of race, color, national origin, or income with respect to the development, implementation, and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations and policies.” The Institute and the EPM graduate program embraces a similar philosophy regarding 'justice' in their activities.

Abel Kebasso: This project represents a delicate but vital hope—that the energy transition can be guided by an ethic of abundance, not scarcity, where frontline communities are not just included but centered. I'm drawn to the possibility that participatory research can help turn past harms into pathways for meaningful, lasting justice.

Dewansh Matharoo: Environmental justice work ought to be deeply intersectional and expansive, bring community knowledge and expertise to the fore, and work towards systemic change. Mobility Unbound aims to do just that and I want to learn from and help their vision. As an environmental justice scholar and professional, I have a lot to learn about community engagement, creating comprehensive and just policies, and developing meaningful relationships with partners. Working with two EJ leaders - Mobility Unbound and the Feminist Research Institute - would allow me to just that (and more) which is quite exciting! Every day, I learn a little more about how broken and intentionally unjust and wasteful our food systems are. With my present and future work on food justice, I hope to transform some of those systems to make them equitable for those who are most disadvantaged by the current status quo.

Carlin Coleman: I've been blessed to travel to different parts of the world and have seen how the thoughtful implementation of transportation systems can strengthen and improve community connection, public health, and quality of life. Those experiences influenced my interest in the intersection of transportation planning and environmental justice and inspired me to explore how transportation infrastructure can be used to support more equitable access to transportation and mobility.

Subah Tarannum: As an Environmental Policy student and a public transit user familiar with the challenges of navigating a car-centric transportation system, I’m excited to support the Incentivizing Low-Emission Transportation Alternatives project with America Walks to advance more equitable and sustainable mobility options. I’m especially drawn to the project’s emphasis on a user-generated content hub and a story map of community voices, as I believe lived experiences are powerful forms of data that can, and should, shape more inclusive and effective transportation policies.

Learn more about the Environmental Justice Apprenticeship Program co-sponsored by the Graduate Program of Environmental Policy and Management and the Institute of the Environment: https://epm.ucdavis.edu/environmental-justice-apprenticeship-program