School Highlight: John Williams

School Highlight: John Williams

Adjunct professor John Williams is instructing “Geographies of Environmental Justice and Sustainability” this fall.

John E. Williams is an city historian, geographer, and professor based mostly in Harlem with foundations rooted deep within the South. Along with serving as an adjunct professor within the Sustainability Administration (SUMA) program, he presently serves because the affiliate director of Pupil Affairs on the Local weather Faculty.

Williams’s forthcoming ebook venture — tentatively titled “Transcending Boundaries: Race, Mobility, & Transportation Planning in Atlanta” — garnered the Dan Sweat Fellowship Award in City Planning, Public Coverage, and Financial Growth.

His experience and dedication to environmental justice are essential to the SUMA program’s mission — as a result of the pursuit of fairness is certain with the pursuit of sustainability.

What initially motivated you to pursue the sector of sustainability? 

I’ve all the time liked social research 一 historical past and geography specifically. I’m a child of the “Captain Planet” period, and my pals and I proceed to seek advice from ourselves as “planeteers.” My pursuits in maps, journey, highways, mobility, historic preservation, and so forth. 一 and the impacts on folks and society 一 naturally led me to sustainability. The sphere is so broad, and there may be house for me to discover all of my pursuits and extra.

What drew you to the Sustainability Administration program on the Columbia Local weather Faculty and the Faculty of Skilled Research?

As a geographer, I used to be naturally drawn to the Earth Institute. Whereas in graduate faculty at Academics School, I labored in Undergraduate Pupil Life in Lerner Corridor, and I might discover the Earth Institute banners as I usually walked by Hogan Corridor on my means down Broadway. Lengthy story quick, I did my analysis and managed to seek out and join with nice alternatives on the Earth Institute, Columbia College. Moreover, as a graduate of Florida A&M College, the nation’s premier traditionally Black faculty and college (HBCU), I used to be drawn to the Columbia HBCU Fellowship at SPS. The M.S. in Sustainability Administration and Sustainability Science packages have offered me with all these connections and a way of objective.

What course will you be instructing this fall and what excites you most about it?

I’ll train Geographies of Environmental Justice & Sustainability (SUMA PS5888), and every little thing about this course excites me. First, I had the nice alternative to design it precisely how I desired. It bridges lots of my pursuits and areas of research. We’ll discover subjects and analysis close to and pricey to me. I sit up for offering college students with the origins of the American Environmental Justice Motion, after which connecting this to so many current subjects in sustainability. I additionally sit up for exploring environmental justice work being completed all through the nation. I’m excited to offer numerous views and actually dive deep into the broadness of sustainability.

What adjustments do you hope to see within the subject of sustainability sooner or later?  

I hope to see the sector proceed to develop, reaching increasingly more underserved communities. In doing so, extra folks will higher perceive the impacts they’ve in preserving and saving our planet. Sustainability will assist to create more healthy and safer communities for generations to stay and prosper.

What recommendation do you’ve gotten for college kids pursuing a profession in sustainability?

Be open. Discover. Sustainability is the long run. Sustainability is all-encompassing, and thru this work, you’ll be able to accomplish, obtain, change the world, and save our planet!