The Environmental Protection Agency recently announced it has established an internal council to advance opportunities for Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs).
The council will help the EPA foster stronger relationships with HBCUs and work to identify opportunities that will improve student enrollment and provide support for HBCUs, according to a Feb. 22 press release. The council will consist of volunteers from EPA headquarters, as well as program and regional offices.
“HBCUs have produced some of the greatest minds in American history and as we continue the mission of protecting human health and the environment, these vital institutions are helping us lead the charge,” EPA Administrator, Michael Regan, said in the release. “That’s why I’m proud to create this council to assess ways we can strengthen our recruitment of students and provide broader support to help fortify HBCUs into the future.”
The EPA will develop a broad HBCU strategy in the coming months, the release stated.
“It is fantastic to see the EPA finally lift up HBCUs since our schools have played an outsize role over the decades in training generations of leaders and seeding justice movements—including environmental and climate justice,” Dr. Robert D. Bullard, environmental justice pioneer and distinguished professor of Urban Planning and Environmental Policy at Texas Southern University, said in the release. “Hopefully, this new EPA initiative will help strengthen the education and training infrastructure, research centers, and community-university partnerships at HBCUs.”
The council will also support organizations that uniquely serve some of the most vulnerable populations and communities, Bullard added.
The council will also explore ways the EPA can support HBCUs as leaders in environmental issues including climate change, climate resiliency, and environmental justice, the release stated.
