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Professor, Anthropology and Sociology
CASY 310
efirdr@seattleu.edu
Dr. Efird's research and writing project combines interviews, applied ethnography and archival research to explore the potential for non-Indigenous people to practice environmental education in ways that support decolonization and Indigenous cultural resurgence. This timely intervention comes at a moment when non-Indigenous K-12 educators throughout Washington state are newly obliged by law to teach Indigenous history, culture and sovereignty—but unsure how to do so accurately and respectfully. At the same time, led by a small group of Indigenous and non-Indigenous scholars and practitioners, the international and interdisciplinary field of environmental education (EE) is finally beginning to confront the questions of how to account for settler colonialism in EE research and practice, and how to use that practice as a means of advancing decolonization and Indigenous cultural resurgence. At this critical juncture, there is a pressing need to critically analyze and empirically evaluate these leading-edge developments in EE theory and praxis, and then widely disseminate the conclusions. The results of Dr. Efird's research will be published in 2025 as an invited book chapter in the second edition of Routledge’s Handbook of Environmental Anthropology, and his findings will also form the basis for at least one conference presentation.
Assistant Professor, Environmental Studies
CASY 210
jarmstrong@seattleu.edu
As the world strives to address the climate crisis, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and policy experts have long urged that cities must play a major role in mitigating climate change given that urban areas are central sources of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Yet while thousands of cities have taken some form of climate action over the past two decades, only a small number have adopted ambitious policies that will reduce emissions significantly.
Dr. Armstrong's study will examine the development of city climate programs for low-carbon transitions, defined as mandated targets of 80% or greater reduction in GHG emissions by 2050 or sooner, and assess whether and how the policies are integrating environmental justice. In ten cities across the U.S., Armstrong will analyze the political conditions behind the adoption of these low-carbon transition policies. He will adapt and apply the multi-level perspective of the socio-technical transitions framework, which has been used to systematically assess transitions across socio-technical issues but not low-carbon transitions in cities. The study methods include constructing climate policy timelines, analyzing social, political, and economic variables and their changes over time, and interviewing policy officials.
Achieving low-carbon transitions in cities, and doing so in a just manner, is a vitally important sustainability issue. In addition to its scholarly contribution, the study will offer critical guidance for future policy efforts, and he look forward to sharing the findings with city officials, policy networks, and advocates.
Tapoja ChaudhuriAssistant Teaching Professor
Matteo Ricci Institute
CASY
chaudhut@seattleu.edu
Research Fellowship Project: Putting Down Roots - Affective aspects of P-patch gardening in Central Seattle.
On September 9, 2023, a group of urban gardeners gathered in Magnuson Park to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Seattle P-patch city-wide community gardening program. Some, like me, had been gardening in the program for about 5 or more years, but others were there who had been with the program for more than 10 years. Much has been written about the roles that urban community gardens play in enhancing urban sustainability, food security, and community empowerment specifically amongst socio-economically marginalized groups in inner cities. My project on an ethnographic account of the visceral aspects of gardening in the Central District of Seattle plans to add to this literature by exploring the role that ‘affect’ plays in environmental place-making. I define affect as the emotional aspect of any experience with a focus on embodied interactions with both our human and more-than-human neighbors. I propose to conduct qualitative in-depth analysis of the socio-emotional aspects of urban gardening amongst mostly middle-to-fixed income individuals living in the Central District, for whom gardening/guerilla gardening in and around these p-patches are the only avenues to interact with nature. My project speaks to the question I ask my students: how can our quest to achieve sustainability spark joy? Following Robin Kimmerer, I also ask: what role does visceral engagements with our plant-relatives play in engendering an ethics of sustainability. Lastly, my project engages with the questions of urban environmental governance, especially in the context of increasing tensions between many gardeners and our unhoused neighbors.
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Lauren BibinAssistant Professor
College of Nursing
lbibin@seattleu.edu
Fellowship Research Project: Seattle University Sustainability Transformation Assessment in Nursing
The U.S. healthcare industry, paradoxically, significantly contributes to greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) and toxic waste, perpetuating environmental degradation and climate change. This irony highlights that the sector responsible for health preservation is a substantial environmental hazard source, disproportionately impacting marginalized communities with elevated injury, illness, and disease rates. Our project aligns with Pope Francis' Laudato Si and Seattle University's Reigniting Strategic Directions, notably Goal 1, addressing sustainability and climate change challenges. We aim to demonstrate how organizational introspection and transformation can lead to sustainability. The College of Nursing's Clinical Performance Lab, a simulated healthcare training environment, will conduct a comprehensive sustainability assessment. This evaluation covers diverse aspects, including operational policies, supply procurement, equipment usage, disposal practices, and infrastructure. We will rely on environmental sustainability evaluation principles endorsed by the American Association of Colleges of Nursing. Additionally, we will integrate insights from the International Nursing Association of Clinical Simulation and Learning (INACSL) and consult a healthcare industry sustainability expert. Our project will serve as a practical model for implementing sustainability principles in healthcare training spaces and simulating their application in real industry settings. Furthermore, it provides a scholarly foundation for Dr. Lauren Bibin, a first-year Assistant Professor, aligning with Seattle University's mission, the Center for Environmental Justice & Sustainability, and Laudato Si'. Dr. Bibin's active involvement in INACSL's Sustainability SIG and the INACSL Healthcare Standards of Best Practice in Simulation committee enriches our project with insights into simulation center operations' best practices.