Steve Vásquez Dolph

I understand climate justice as a practice of repair. It's helping to repair the harm we've done to the environments that sustain us, to frontline communities suffering the worst impacts of extractive energy practices, and to our broken understanding of ourselves as separate from the nonhuman world. Climate change accelerates income inequality, gender-based violence, and forced migration—issues that demand a humanistic, storytelling-driven approach to slow these processes and inspire action. For me, climate justice involves collaborations that unite ecology, mobility, and psychology, translating climate science into civic action. Decarbonization without democracy is perilous. Without stories rooted in our shared humanity, we are lost.

As a language and cultural studies educator, I aim to connect students to the intersections of climate change and social justice, informed by my identity as a first-generation American and child of diaspora. My coursework, particularly around food and land security, explores how climate vulnerability in the Mesoamerican and Caribbean diasporas fosters cultural and environmental resilience. These classes challenge students to consider how climate change impacts ecosystems, human rights, and migration. Through partnerships in Philadelphia and Puerto Rico, students connect classroom learning to real-world challenges, fostering adaptability, empathy, and justice.

I strive to root environmental education in personal and community histories, emphasizing resilience, humility, and connection. By collaborating with community-based organizations, I help students understand how local food systems and land use practices address systemic inequities and promote sustainability. "Food and Land Security in Philadelphia" gives students firsthand experience in urban agriculture, while the "Love through Agriculture" study abroad program immerses them in culturally-rooted agro-ecological practices. Both courses build community and connect students with activists, farmers, and environmental educators who demonstrate how to adapt to and resist climate challenges. I believe this work—bridging higher education and community-driven solutions—is essential to creating an equitable, sustainable future.