Mariclaire Joseph is WE ACT for Environmental Justice’s Cecil Corbin-Mark Civic Engagement & Organizing Fellow. Mariclaire’s desire to advocate for environmental stewardship and justice began at an early age, having grown up in a heavily industrialized section of New Jersey alongside chemical manufacturing facilities, oil refineries, and Superfund sites. While she began an academic trajectory focusing on marine science and conservation policy inspired by her coastal roots, she felt the desire to forge a pathway that prioritized the human element in the issues she studied, as she found successful fieldwork was best achieved when science and policy dovetailed consistent and abundant community involvement.
In a recent return to academia, Mariclaire sought to gain a more robust understanding of law, governance, and climate systems to bolster her passion for advocacy in the realms of environmental and climate justice. Her passion for community engagement stems from the desire to spark dialogue and rally commonality around social, political, and environmental issues where division and polarization have worked against the pursuit of equitable solutions, protections, and actionable change. Mariclaire holds a Bachelor of the Arts in Sustainable Development conferred by Columbia University’s Climate School.