Frances Roberts-Gregory completed her doctoral studies in Society & Environment at the University of California, Berkeley. As a Future Faculty Fellow, Roberts-Gregory is currently housed in the School of Public Policy and Urban Affairs in the College of Social Sciences and Humanities – a strong legacy of community-based research is what drew Roberts-Gregory to the fellows program. She was encouraged to apply to the Future Faculty Fellowship Program after attending UNFCCC COP25 in Madrid; there, she met Shalanda Baker who suggested that she look into postdoctoral and mentorship opportunities at Northeastern:
“Once I started the future faculty application, I did my research and realized that I admired so many of the scholars at Northeastern. I take a lot of risks and I break a lot of rules –there are a lot of junior and senior faculty who do that here at NU.”
Roberts-Gregory’s diverse skill set likewise ranges from more quantitative and spatial approaches to community based participatory action research (CBPR) to study environmental justice. As a mixed-methods scholar-activist, her research is explicitly feminist; she embraces praxis (theory + action) to address power inequalities and uncover new research findings. Her dissertation focuses on Gulf Coast women of color’s climate justice activism and strategies to resist environmental racism while navigating contradictory relationships with energy and petrochemical industries.
“I went to an undergraduate institution for women of African descent, Spelman College, that prides itself on service learning and scholar-activism. What links all my research interests together is a focus on justice and freedom.”
Her ongoing engagement with the Feminist Agenda for the New Green Deal is just one example of how her scholarship and activism intersect and ultimately benefit global communities.
“As an ethnographer, you’re always on the clock; in other words, every place you go shapes and influences how you interpret culture and see solutions for environmental, energy, and climate justice.”
Frances Roberts-Gregory will present her research experiences and goals March 31st at the SPPUA-In-Action Seminar at 4:00 pm. Register here to attend!
