Being a Public Scholar means embracing a responsibility to bridge the gap between academia and the communities impacted by research. It involves conducting research that prioritizes public good, actively engaging communities in knowledge creation and influencing policy to drive systemic change. In my case, being a Public Scholar means using my research to advocate for South Asian communities who continue to be minoritized and underserved, as it concerns environmental racism and justice.
Research Description
Studies indicate that low-income, racially and ethnically minoritized individuals, particularly immigrants, are among those most affected by environmental health risks, such as exposure to air pollutants and being proximity to pollutant-releasing industrial facilities. Despite these trends, there is a critical gap in community-based research exploring the intersection of race, ethnicity, income and immigrant status in relation to environmental health risks. This research focuses on investigating environmental health inequities experienced by South Asian communities in Toronto, Vancouver, and surrounding areas. South Asians make up one of the largest racially-minoritized immigrant groups in Canada, and emerging trends indicate that they are facing disproportionate exposure to environmental hazards, particularly in densely populated urban centres with significant air pollution alongside reduced access to environmental benefits, such as access to green space. This research aims to: (1) capture the impacts of exposure to environmental hazards (e.g., pollutants) and access to benefits (e.g., outdoor green spaces) on the holistic health and wellbeing of South Asians, particularly new immigrants living in Toronto, Vancouver and surrounding areas; (2) explore their knowledge and understanding of environmental health risk and (3) co-create recommendations for environmental health regulatory policies to better serve racially, ethnically and gender-minoritized peoples. Grounded in an interdisciplinary framework that bridges theories of environmental justice, intersectionality, anti-coloniality and the Critical Race Public Health Praxis, this research employs community-based participatory action methods to engage South Asian adults in multilingual workshops. These workshops facilitate intergenerational knowledge exchange, amplify lived experiences of environmental health risks, and co-develop policy recommendations to inform Canada's environmental justice strategy and the strengthening of the Canadian Environmental Protection Act. Through collaboration with the community partner Women’s Healthy Environments Network (WHEN) and with the support of knowledge mobilization partners Laadliyan and the South Asian Health Institute (SAHI), this research seeks to inform health advocacy and contribute to the public good by ensuring the unique needs of marginalized South Asian communities are recognized in environmental health policymaking. Findings will be shared with the federal government and disseminated through accessible platforms to promote inclusive health outcomes and help these communities thrive.
What does being a Public Scholar mean to you?
Being a Public Scholar means embracing a responsibility to bridge the gap between academia and the communities impacted by research. It involves conducting research that prioritizes public good, actively engaging communities in knowledge creation and influencing policy to drive systemic change. In my case, being a Public Scholar means using my research to advocate for South Asian communities who continue to be minoritized and underserved, as it concerns environmental racism and justice. It is my hope that through PSI, I can support advancing environmental justice and addressing these health inequities through collaborative, community-centered methods. This approach aligns with my broader activism in environmental justice, centering anti-colonial approaches and intersectional equity.
In what ways do you think the PhD experience can be re-imagined with the Public Scholars Initiative?
The Public Scholars Initiative (PSI) re-imagines the PhD experience by encouraging a collaborative, interdisciplinary and action-oriented approach to research. Rather than limiting research to traditional academic boundaries, PSI supports engagement with real-world issues and stakeholders by breaking away from the traditional unidirectional flow of research from academia to society, fostering knowledge co-creation. In my work, I employ community-based participatory action research (CBPAR) to center the lived experiences of South Asian communities facing environmental health disparities in Toronto and Vancouver. By involving them directly in research and policy advocacy, my PhD transcends conventional academic boundaries and forges stronger connections between scholarship and social justice advocacy. PSI further supports these efforts by funding non-traditional methodologies and enabling dissemination beyond academic circles to communities and policymakers. This fundamentally re-imagines what doctoral research can accomplish.
How do you envision connecting your PhD work with broader career possibilities?
My PhD work is directly aligned with my broader career goal of becoming a full-time professor while maintaining active involvement in the public and non-profit sectors. My research on environmental justice and health equity aims to influence public policy and empower underserved, marginalized and minoritized communities. Through teaching, I hope to inspire future scholars, particularly young women of colour, to continue doing impactful community-centred work that bridges academia, policy advocacy and grassroots activism. I strive to leverage my expertise in qualitative, community-centred and arts-based methods (among others) as well as my interdisciplinary knowledge of public health, social justice and environmental policy to promote systems-based, inter-sectoral, collaborative and interdisciplinary solutions for addressing society's "wicked" problems. As a co-founder of two national non-profits focused on environment and climate justice and intersectional feminist health promotion — Shake Up The Establishment and missINFORMED, respectively — I hope to continue to drive systemic change by advocating for policy reforms informed by lived experiences of marginalized, minoritized and underserved communities. Beyond academia, I envision continuing to combine my research experiences with public engagements that promote knowledge mobilization through public speaking, teaching, and community organizing. I aim to continue to mentor future movement leaders, alongside creating more safe, inclusive spaces within academia for scholar-activists, who often experience a challenging time bringing their work into institutional research spaces.
How does your research engage with the larger community and social partners?
My research deeply engages with minoritized, marginalized and underserved South Asian communities in urban centers like Toronto and Vancouver through participatory action workshops. These workshops provide a space for intergenerational knowledge exchange, capturing the lived experiences of environmental health risks while co-developing policy recommendations. I also collaborate with numerous community partners, such as Women's Healthy Environments Network (WHEN) - alongside knowledge mobilization partners South Asian Health Institute (SAHI) and Laadliyan - to amplify research findings directly to the communities impacted, ensuring that the work informs their health advocacy efforts. This grassroots collaboration ensures that the research is not only community-centered but also actionable in real-world policy and advocacy efforts.
Why did you decide to pursue a graduate degree?
I decided to pursue a graduate degree to deepen my expertise of intersectional issues that are impacting health outcomes for minoritized, marginalized and underserved communities, particularly in the context of environmental justice and health equity. I wanted to gain the tools and knowledge needed to address systemic inequities through research and policy. My academic journey has allowed me to combine my lived experience as a neurodiverse South Asian woman with my passion for community advocacy, ultimately enabling me to make meaningful contributions to both academia and society.
Why did you choose to come to British Columbia and study at UBC?
I chose UBC for its strong interdisciplinary focus and commitment to social justice. UBC’s Public Scholars Initiative and its emphasis on collaborative, community-based research made it the ideal place to pursue my PhD. Additionally, UBC’s renowned expertise in environmental justice and health equity, combined with its support for Indigenous and intercultural engagement, aligns with my values of intersectionality and anti-coloniality. UBC provides the academic resources and community partnerships necessary for me to carry out research that not only addresses environmental health disparities but also drives policy change at the national level.
