The Yale
Institute for Biospheric Studies (YIBS)
Director Derek Briggs is pleased to
announce the appointment of Professor
Dorceta Taylor, associate professor of
environmental sociology at the University
of Michigan, as the upcoming Edward P.
Bass Distinguished Visiting Environmental
Scholar. Professor Taylor holds a joint
appointment in the School of Natural
Resources and Environment and the Center
for Afroamerican and African Studies at
the University of Michigan. Professor
Taylor will be in residence at Yale from
September 1st through December
2005 and will have an office in the Yale
School of Forestry & Environmental
Studies. She will give seminars, interact
with faculty, students and research
groups, and participate in the life of
several academic departments.
Professor
Taylor received her Ph.D. in Sociology and
Forestry & Environmental Studies from Yale
University in 1991, an M.A. and M.Phil.
from Yale University in Sociology and
Forestry & Environmental Studies in 1988,
an M.F.S. in Forest Science from the F&ES
in 1985, a B.A. in Environmental Studies
and Biology from Northeastern Illinois
University in 1983, a teaching certificate
in botany from Excelsior College, Jamaica,
West Indies, in 1977 and an Advanced Level
Cambridge certificate in zoology and
botany in 1976. At the University of
Michigan she teaches courses in
environmental history, environmental
politics, environmental justice,
environment and development, gender and
environment and sociological theory. Her
research focuses on history of mainstream
and environmental justice ideology and
activism, social movements and framing and
diversity in the environmental field. She
has recently completed two major
manuscripts. The first, which focuses on
the rise of the urban environmental
movement, is entitled: Environment,
Work and Recreation in American Cities:
1600s–1900s. Disorder, Inequality and
Social Change. The second manuscript,
which analyzes the rise of the
conservation movement is entitled:
Outward Bound: Manliness, Wealth, Race and
the Rise of the Environmental Movement.
1830s–1930s. Dr. Taylor is working on
a third manuscript on minorities and the
environment that she hopes to complete
while she is at Yale, which will be
entitled People of Color and the
Environment: 1600s–1900s.
Professor
Taylor is currently the program director
for the
Minority Environmental Leadership
Development Initiative (MELDI). She is
currently conducting a national study of
minority and white students in university
environmental programs to find out about
their preparation for the environmental
workforce, willingness to work in
environmental organizations upon
graduation, salary expectations, and
whether they consider issues related to
equity and diversity in the workplace
relevant to their job satisfaction. As a
corollary, Professor Taylor is also
conducting a parallel study of employees
in environmental organizations to find out
about their work experiences. In
particular, she is interested in
recruitment and retention, salary
compensation, perceptions of equity and
discrimination on the job, diversity,
career development and networking
opportunities on the job. A third study is
being conducted among environmental
organizations to find out about
institutional factors relating to
recruitment and retention of employees,
the institution of mentoring programs,
diversity efforts, employee review
procedures and the demographic
characteristics of these organizations.
These studies have been sponsored by the
Joyce Foundation.
For
information on contacting Professor
Taylor, please call the YIBS office at
(203) 432-9857.
Edward P. Bass
Distinguished Visiting Environmental
Scholars Program
