A cold drizzle poured over the University of Maryland campus as students crossed the red-brick pathways between stately academic halls. Patches of snow lingered along the edges of walkways, remnants of winter clinging to the early days of March. Yet inside classrooms and gathering spaces, the campus buzzed with warmth and curiosity—students and faculty eager to engage with the urgent environmental questions shaping our time.
On Tuesday, March 3, 2026, Joy Reeves, Director of Policy and Strategic Development for the Rachel Carson Council (RCC), visited the University of Maryland to connect with students, faculty, and environmental leaders across campus. Her visit focused on growing collaborative pathways to interdisciplinary environmental education and marked the beginning of an exciting new partnership.
The day began in Professor Joanna Goger’s Introduction to Environmental Policy (ENSP 102) class, where Reeves delivered a guest lecture exploring the intersection of environmental storytelling, policy advocacy, and public engagement. As part of the session, students screened the documentary Wood Pellet Wasteland, prompting a lively discussion about the rapidly expanding wood pellet industry and its implications for forests, climate, and frontline communities.
The conversation resonated strongly with the course’s focus on policy memo writing, an assignment that challenges students to translate complex environmental issues into persuasive, actionable policy recommendations. Students posed thoughtful questions about advocacy strategies, the role of narrative in shaping public policy, and the ways organizations like RCC connect research, storytelling, and activism.
Following the lecture, Reeves met with faculty and staff from the Environmental Science & Policy (ENSP) Program, one of the university’s most dynamic interdisciplinary initiatives. Designed to span multiple departments, the ENSP program allows students from nearly any academic background to approach their studies through an environmental lens—a model that reflects the complex, cross-disciplinary nature of environmental problem-solving.
During the meeting, Reeves discussed RCC’s fellowships, student leadership programs, and advocacy initiatives with faculty including Mark Carroll, Director of the ENSP Program and Associate Professor in the Department of Plant Science and Landscape Architecture; Professor Joanna Goger, Principal Lecturer in Environmental Science & Policy; Angela Mazur-Gray, Assistant Director of the ENSP Program; Dr. Caroline Boules, Senior Lecturer; and Dr. Jayson Maurice Porter, Assistant Professor of History and environmental writer. The group explored opportunities to connect University of Maryland students with RCC’s growing national network of environmental leaders.
Later in the afternoon, Reeves joined students and faculty for lunch, where conversation quickly evolved into an impromptu professional development discussion. Students reflected on the realities of entering the environmental career field and shared creative ideas about how organizations like RCC can better support emerging leaders. Their discussion ranged from leveraging the Washington, D.C.–Maryland–Virginia region’s unique networking opportunities to pursuing experiential learning programs such as UMD’s “Intern for a Day” program while also debating one of the most common questions facing young environmental professionals: whether, or when, to pursue graduate school.
As evening approached, Reeves was welcomed by Khushi Desai, a 2025–2026 RCC National Environmental Leadership Fellow (NELF), for a tour of the newly created CEDAR Gallery in Taliaferro Hall. Developed in collaboration with Dr. Jayson Maurice Porter, the gallery centers themes of Ecologies, Diaspora, and Ancestral Roots, offering a cozy and welcoming space where students can explore environmental art, literature, and collaborative projects. The Rachel Carson Council has proudly supported Khushi’s work on the gallery as part of their NELF fellowship project.
The visit concluded with Reeves speaking to members of 17 for Peace and Justice, a student organization dedicated to social and environmental advocacy. In a thoughtful evening discussion, students explored topics ranging from the impacts of the wood pellet industry to the broader intersections of environmental justice across communities in the United States. Reeves also introduced students to RCC’s fellowship opportunities and the growing national network of campuses working together to advance environmental advocacy.
By the end of the day, meaningful connections had formed across classrooms, campus spaces, and student organizations, each conversation reinforcing the power of collaboration between universities and environmental advocates.
The Rachel Carson Council is proud to welcome the University of Maryland as the 93rd member of the RCC Campus Network, joining a nationwide community of faculty, students, and community committed to advancing environmental justice, leadership, and change.
