Category: News

Leaving a tangible mark on your scientific field is a staggering achievement at any stage of your career. Each year, Popular Science honors 10 early-career researchers who’ve gotten a head start: The Brilliant 10. These researchers already stand out as innovators and change makers in their fields. They are asking the unasked questions, adopting novel methods, and pursuing remedies where none exist. Whether they are driven by the desire to fill a…

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In “Kneeling Before Corn,” JPB Fellow Mike Anastario and his co-authors explore relationships between humans and the ‘three sisters’—corn, beans, and squash—in rural El Salvador. The book develops the concept of “more-than-human intimacies,” referring to the unique relationships that form between people and plants. It illustrates how these intimacies travel away from the milpa and return to it through processes of “vicarious intimacy.” This book offers a discerning portrayal of…

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JPB Fellow Na’Taki Osborne Jelks received the Damu Smith Environmental Achievement Award — This award recognizes cross-cutting collaborative work that has enhanced or increased understanding of economic security, ecological conservation, culture or health. Dr. Na’Taki Osborne Jelks is a nationally-recognized leader in engaging urban communities and youth of color in environmental stewardship through hands-on watershed and land restoration initiatives, environmental education, and training. In 2001, Jelks co-founded the Atlanta Earth Tomorrow® Program,…

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In a pocket of neighborhoods in Northwest Atlanta, Black residents live among a cluster of industrial and transportation facilities that researchers fear are silently deteriorating the communities’ health. Scattered amid the tree-lined streets of Collier Heights and nearby residential communities, there are wastewater treatment plants, a train yard, a power plant, a concrete facility, and an asphalt plant. Within the same 3-mile radius, more than 150 jets depart and arrive…

Continue reading “Black neighborhoods burdened by industrial air pollution will finally get answers”

As a young woman, Diana Ceballos spent Saturdays volunteering with impoverished children living in a neighborhood built on top of a garbage dump in her native Medellin, Colombia. “I could see how sick they were, the skin diseases, the coughing, the deplorable conditions,” Ceballos said. “It was evident to me how the environment plays a huge role in health. But back then, no one talked about how the environment could…

Continue reading “Championing better health for vulnerable workers”

When Max Aung, Ph.D., was an undergraduate at the University of California, Santa Cruz, he was studying molecular biology. A pivotal experience in his junior year guided his path. He participated in a summer program at Stanford University focused on providing public health and medical training experiences for underrepresented, first-generation, and immigrant students. “I had the opportunity to learn from leading physicians and public health practitioners. As a first-generation college…

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Over half of the population in Sub-Saharan Africa has no access to electricity. Hospitals in these regions struggle to provide healthcare, food, and vaccines get wasted due to lack of cooling, And businesses struggle to improve productivity. At the same time, a third of United States households experience energy insecurity – many forgo food or medicine to pay utility bills, live in unhealthy conditions, or face utility disconnections altogether. Governments,…

Continue reading “Energy Opportunity Forum: Catalyzing Energy for Development and Social Progress”

The conflict and discord between Booker T. Washington and W.E.B DuBois regarding their premise and approach to racial uplift for Black Americans have been very well documented. While Washington sought equality with accommodation, DuBois functioned through agitation. However, their biophilic accord and unity within the natural environment have been both underrecognized and underappreciated. As an honor to these esteemed racial and social justice giants, this special issue article reveals the…

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Dr. Annie Belcourt, professor in the Public and Community Health Science department and chair of Native American Studies, returns to Confluence to round out our coverage of the M-HOPES grant: Mental Health Opportunities for Professional Empowerment in STEM. JPB Senior Fellow Annie hits home the importance of trauma-informed approaches, reframing thoughts, and cultural context. And she brings with her a great sense of humor. Find the podcast here.