New Faculty: Assistant Professor of Environmental Studies Carla May Dhillon
As we begin the semester, we're highlighting Bryn Mawr's newest faculty members. The College supports faculty excellence in both research and teaching.
The Nan Alderfer Harris '51 Professor of Environmental Studies Carla May Dhillon
Assistant Professor Carla May Dhillon’s broad areas of interest include climate change and society, environmental justice, Indigenous studies, and social studies of science and technology. She investigates the reproduction of social inequalities and opportunities for change when diverse environmental knowledge systems interact (such as local, professional, activist, and Indigenous knowledge-practices). A current project employs a mixed-methods social network approach to study collaborations between Indigenous peoples and climate scientists in national scale climate change organizations. This work broadens conceptions of how to bring together climate science, climate justice, and adaptation to environmental change. Other research has addressed uses of citizen science to pursue environmental justice in urban Southern California. Also a licensed civil engineer, Dhillon has more than 10 years of professional experience in engineering and sustainable built environments. She recently published in the edited volume Responses to Disasters and Climate Change (CRC Press), and on citizen science and environmental justice in the journal Local Environment.
Bryn Mawr's Environmental Studies Department combines the strengths of our two liberal arts campuses to create an interdisciplinary program that teaches students to synthesize diverse disciplinary knowledge and approaches, and to communicate effectively across disciplinary boundaries as they engage with environmental issues. In addressing these issues, ENVS students will apply critical thinking and analytical skills within a holistic, systems framework that includes social justice as an essential component.