The University of Memphis is one of eight universities that will partner with international research nonprofit RTI Institute in creating an environmental justice center that will serve communities across eight states.
The work will be fueled by a $10 million grant from the U.S. Environmental Agency.
The environmental justice center will aim to “help advance environmental justice by supporting individuals living especially in under-resourced and underserved settings in Memphis and the State of Tennessee,” according to a release from U of M.
Part of that support will be providing education and training that is localized for individual communities that are disproportionately and adversely impacted by environmental hazards like contaminated drinking water or subpar air quality.
The work of the center will not be limited to Memphis and Tennessee; states that fall under the EPA’s Region 4 — including parts Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and six Tribal Nations — will also benefit from the work of RTI and university researchers.
Other universities that will partner with RTI and the U of M are University of Georgia, University of Kentucky, University of South Carolina, Alabama A&M University, Florida A&M University, Jackson State University and North Carolina Central University.
Chunrong Jia, an environmental health professor in U of M’s School of Public Health, led U of M’s effort to join the partnership along with Ashish Josh, professor and dean of the School of Public Health, Naser Titu, an assistant professor of environmental health, and Arleen Hill, a professor and chair of the earth sciences department.
Micaela Watts is a reporter for The Commercial Appeal covering issues tied to education, access, and equity. She can be reached at [email protected].
