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Spring semester 2025 I joined a research group focused on ensuring environmental justice through engineering innovation. We partnered with a nonprofit based in North Richmond called Urban Tilth. Urban Tilth educates, hires, and trains local residents to cultivate agriculture, feed the community, and restore relationships to land to build a more sustainable food system. I worked with them as a member and leader on several environmental improvement projects, specifically targeted towards restoring a safe environment/food system in the face of industrial pollution from the nearby Chevron Refinery.
One of the projects I headed was Brownfield Remediation, in which I devised soil testing protocol for identifying harmful metals and chemical remains in agriculture spaces. I also compiled a list of plant species known as 'remidiators' that can naturally remove certain compounds from the soil. The testing protocol, and data sheet including the specifics on each 'remediator' were included in my team's white paper and federal grant application along with other projects I worked on.
My team presented our findings and projects to the Richmond City Council and Urban Tilth. Many of our improvement plans remain in effect today, improving food security, employment, and community engagement in the area.
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