Spring 2025

The Baldy Center Podcast

Industrial smoke stacks.

Monica Miles discusses environmental justice, STEM education, and the nonprofit community

Published April 9, 2025

In Episode 46 of The Baldy Center Podcast, Monica Miles (Engineering Education) speaks about environmental justice, STEM education, sustainability of nonprofits, and how social policies impact the health of marginalized communities. 

Keywords: Environmental justice education, Critical theories of race, Research methods, Social Justice, Identity, STEM, Pedagogies
Hashtags: #EnvironmentalJustice #NonprofitEquity #STEMEducation #PolicyReform #BlackLedNonprofits #UBPodcast #CommunityScience #EJScreen #UrbanHeatMonitoring #BuffaloVoices

Podcast Streaming 24/7

STREAMING AUDIO 24/7

You can stream each episode on       and most any audio app. You can also stream the episode using the audio player on this page.

Podcast Audio Player

Note: Audio Player may not function ideally on small-screen devices.

Tools like EJScreen allowed communities to see how health and environmental issues intersect. I was using it with K -12 kids, educators, community representatives, students at UB. It was a way for us to pull up the data in a way that it made sense about what was going on in the community. On EJScreen, I could see everything from green space, to health disparities, to what communities had lower life expectancy. So it already connected health data with environmental data. Removing that access is removing power from the people. That was a policy change that directly impacted marginalized communities. Now it's harder to get information that is credible and reliable. 

                 —Monica Miles, PhD                   
                    (The Baldy Center Podcast, Spring 2025)

Monica Miles, PhD, Assistant Professor, Department of Engineering Education, School of Engineering and Applied Sciences;

Research Focus: Environmental justice education, Research methods, Social Justice , Identity, Pedagogies

Department of Engineering Education, UB School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, President and Co-founder, Mother Earth Literacies.

Monica Miles, PhD, Assistant Professor, Department of Engineering Education, UB School of Engineering and Applied Sciences; President and Co-founder, Mother Earth Literacies. 

Bio: Monica L. Miles is a dedicated mother, scientist, researcher, scholar, and community activist whose work focuses on equity, justice, and environmental sustainability. A proud graduate of Buffalo Public Schools (BPS), Erie Community College, and the University at Buffalo, where she earned three degrees, Monica’s educational journey reflects her resilience and commitment to serving her community. In her role as an Assistant Professor of Engineering Education at UB, Monica is particularly passionate about supporting first-generation students and ensuring they have the resources and mentorship to succeed. As the co-founder and president of Mother Earth Literacies, LLC, Monica works tirelessly to enhance the quality of life in Western New York. Her research focuses on the role of identity, racialized experiences, and marginalization in K-12 and higher education, particularly in STEM and nonprofit environments. A critical race theorist and environmental justice educator, she is committed to bridging gaps and creating opportunities for underrepresented groups.

RELATED LINKS

  •  Link shows tool removed

We have always had to be good at our craft. We've had to pour from cups that were empty. We know how to survive and navigate this. We're channeling our ancestors. We're coming together in community. You're going to see that some grassroots efforts are going to sustain us. We're not looking for somebody to come and save us."
                 —Monica Miles, PhD                   
                     (The Baldy Center Podcast, Spring 2025)

Tarun Gangadhar Vadaparthi, Podcast Host/Producer 2024-25

Tarun Gangadhar, host/producer, The Baldy Center Podcast.

Tarun Gangadhar

Tarun Gangadhar Vadaparthi is the host/producer for the 2024-25 edition of The Baldy Center Podcast. As a graduate student in Computer Science and Engineering at the UB, Vadaparthi's research work lies in machine learning and software development, with a focus on real-time applications and optimization strategies. He has interned as an ML Engineer at Maksym IT, where he improved deep learning models, and as a Data Engineer at Hitachi Solutions contributing to World Vision Canada initiatives. He holds a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from NIT Nagpur and has also completed a summer program on Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning at the University of Oxford. Vadaparthi's research and projects are rooted in data-driven decision-making, with a strong commitment to practical innovations in technology.

Executive Producers

Matthew Dimick, JD, PhD
Professor, UB School of Law;
Director, The Baldy Center

Amanda M. Benzin 
Associate Director
The Baldy Center