When I think about the integration of equity and sustainability within higher education, I can’t help but to think of Stephania Fregosi. Steph is a member of the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education’s (AASHE) Advisory Council and one of the original and longest serving members of AASHE’s DEI committee. It seems to me that AASHE is an organization that plays one of the most central roles in shaping discourse about sustainability within the academy and Steph is one of the folks who has done some of the most work in guiding AASHE to really think hard about the importance of equity and social justice. In addition to her work within AASHE, Steph is the Sustainability Analyst for Portland Community College (which is the largest community college in Oregon with an enrollment of almost 90,000 students).

In the first of our conversation, Steph and I spoke about a wide range of topics. We spoke about sustainability at community colleges, the integration of sustainability and community service and engagement, and the integration of sustainability and equity.

In regards to the last of the above topics, I want to note that Steph and I recorded our conversation in early February of 2020 prior to the COVID-19 pandemic; the murders of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, and George Floyd; the protests against police brutality and systemic racism; and the events following the 2020 Presidential election — all of which have substantially changed conversations about equity and sustainability within higher education.

When I spoke with Steph a couple of weeks ago about her impending episodes, it was clear that if we had recorded for the podcast today — Steph and I would likely say substantively different things about equity and sustainability within higher ed. So, I’ll definitely have to invite Steph to return to the show but — though the past year has changed the landscape and context of sustainability and equity in academia — there’s a ton to learn from what Steph talked about more than a year ago.

Links: https://www.pcc.edu/sustainability/about-sustainability-at-pcc/district-staff/ https://www.aashe.org/racial-equity-social-justice/ https://www.aashe.org/racial-equity-social-justice/anthology/