Environmental Fellows Program

Environmental Fellows Program

A key component of sustainability is equity. In addition to the redevelopment of policies and programs, seeking equity calls for diverse voices forging solutions that benefit all. The University of Michigan Environmental Fellows Program diversifies environmental and conservation philanthropy by supporting the career aspirations of graduate students from traditionally underrepresented populations.

On May 23, the Foundation hosted this year’s class of 30 Environmental Fellows for their last day of orientation. After two full days of learning about philanthropy, fellows met with Erb staff to understand how that work is put into practice. A member of the Fellows class, Teal Harrison, is spending her summer with the Foundation. A recent graduate of the University of Michigan with an M.S. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology and a B.A. in Behavioral Biology from Johns Hopkins University, Teal is researching sustainable farming practices and policies to improve the Foundation’s grantmaking around reducing nutrient loading in the western Lake Erie Basin. She is also spending two days each work working at DTown Farm in Detroit.