Enrique Valencia (he/him) is passionate about partnering with environmental and climate justice (E&CJ) activists in conducting research that can serve movement goals. His research interests include community-science research partnerships for E&CJ, analyzing the local impacts of state-led E&CJ mandates, and identifying radical imaginations for E&CJ. Prior to enrolling in the Earth and Environmental Sciences PhD program at the Graduate Center, Enrique worked as a grassroots organizer where he facilitated community power building for economic, immigrant, and education justice. From 2018-2020, he directed Orange County Environmental Justice (OCEJ) in Orange County, CA, where he developed the organization’s capacity to fight for soil lead (Pb) remediation and to conduct water pollution monitoring. At OCEJ, he partnered with a local university for environmental testing and this experience motivated him to pursue scholarship that is in service to E&CJ movements. Enrique has published in Critical Planning and is currently researching adequate technical assistance for environmental justice communities participating in the US EPA's Brownfields Program.
NYC-EJA and its members organizations have powerful visions for environmental and climate justice and it is my hope that my engagement through the NYC Climate Justice Hub can help them advance those visions.
