Q&A with Mariclaire Joseph ‘23GS, Cecil Corbin-Mark Fellow

Growing up in a heavily industrialized New Jersey coastal community, Mariclaire Joseph ‘23GS developed an early awareness of the costs of environmental injustice. Through years of fieldwork, a successful career in the maritime industry, and key experiences while a Columbia GS student, Joseph has forged a distinctly community-centered approach to advocacy. That’s something she’s putting to good use as the Cecil Corbin-Mark Civic Engagement & Organizing Fellow at WE ACT, a Harlem-founded organization working to ensure marginalized communities have a strong voice in shaping local, state, and national environmental policies. 

What is your GS story?

I had a love affair right out of high school with a college that combined sustainability, the environment, and experiential education. Much of my time there was spent out in the field, schlepping textbooks and materials all over the place—sometimes across city lines, sometimes international borders—incredulous that I was earning credit learning in such a dynamic, intimate, and engaging environment. Growing up protective of a coastal community heavily deteriorated by industry, I found myself immersed in coursework focusing on marine science and conservation policy, hoping to one day bring what I'd learned home. 

Despite making concerted progress toward a degree, I was also burning the candle at both ends in many respects during this time, and I desperately needed to take a hiatus (I think my body decided before my brain did). Reengaging with academia happened in a series of fits and starts, and while out of school, that love for the coast became a career in the maritime industry, working at sea in lots of different capacities. At the advent of the pandemic, I found myself at a crossroads: Do I further my career in a trade I'd honed for years, or do I take a risk and finish my degree? 

The latter felt bittersweet, as the faculty team who shaped the way I learned were no longer at my former institution. A friend had mentioned GS to me, and, while intimidated, I sought structure and felt the only way to see if I could keep up with the rigor was to apply. Thanks to a heart-attack inducing letter in the mail, I traded a hard hat for a FAFSA form.  I broadened the scope of my previous studies, and built upon what I knew to subsume more policy, climate science, and the human element into my degree track, choosing the sustainable development major as a trajectory that could cover all of my interests.  Looking back, I feel extremely grateful to have taken part in two very different methods to approach learning.

What were some of your most memorable experiences at GS?

I'll have to do this in list form for brevity's sake, but here's a few things that come to mind:

-The opportunity to learn directly from folks, women especially, whose bodies of work I'd only ever read or whose voices I'd heard as thrilling secondary sources. Be it law, or social research, or contributing to IPCC reports, or authoring novels, I was constantly excitable, much to the chagrin of my exhausted roommates and partner.

-The innumerable talks, forums, and guest speaker engagements where I was genuinely able to engage with a broad spectrum of thought leaders.

-The opportunity to travel to Bangladesh for a capstone course where our curriculum met at the intersection of the geophysical processes, climate, and social issues that impact the country working in collaboration with students from the University of Dhaka and their professors. We navigated what seemed like the entirety of this deltaic country by boat, from as far north as the Brahmaputra to where we spilled out into the Bay of Bengal.  

-The free food in Lewisohn was a lifesaver, thanks GSSC.

Tell us about the Cecil Corbin-Mark Fellowship; How did you learn about it, and what drew you to the opportunity?

A formidable organization on the frontlines of the environmental justice movement since their inception, WE ACT was well known to me both through neighborhood connections and past courses I had taken. However, it wasn't until I had aggressively pursued fellowships that I found out they themselves offered opportunities to get involved in their work. The application was equal parts written and interview, and the window to apply is only open for a month in the spring.

The Cecil Corbin-Mark Fellowship is an opportunity that provides professional development for individuals passionate about environmental and climate justice issues by getting them involved in numerous pathways, be it environmental health research, advocating for policy from the local to the federal level, or civic engagement and organizing, among others. Created to honor the late Cecil Corbin-Mark, WE ACT’s former deputy director and a force that advocated heavily for his community and for a healthier Harlem, the fellowship seeks to continue his legacy by giving individuals an opportunity to grow and foster their leadership capacity in the realm of environmental justice.

The impact of the work of this organization hit home especially hard while tuning in recently to the White House Environmental Justice Summit, where poet Mustafa Ali gave a moving soliloquy about the movement's leaders, touching on the life's work of Cecil Corbin-Mark, and then later in the summit, when our executive director Peggy Shepard was introduced to speak on the hard-won gains in environmental justice—a goosebump inducing moment to drive home the importance of this work and the people behind it. 

What kinds of work are you engaging in as a Fellow?

Jumping right into the position entailed getting us ready for our annual summer barbecue, where members and folks interested could learn about our policy agendas and the work of our different departments, as well as engage with their elected officials.  It was a great opportunity for people in the neighborhood to enjoy good food, good music, and good company, while being able to connect with, say, their state senator, congress member or attorney general.  

More broadly, my role is in civic engagement and organizing where I'll be working with community boards across Manhattan—listening in on issues and advocating our own policy within our own working groups and membership meetings. Our department attends hearings, community events, and other events held by our elected officials. While there's certainly more to come, I'm currently working to develop and teach a curriculum that connects U.S. judicial and democratic processes to environmental justice at large.

As an advocate for environmental justice, are there any central principles or attitudes that shape your approach? 

My current position draws heavily on the environmental degradation and health crises that I grew up around, [and] there is one specific moment from my last year that vividly tied everything together: I was listening to an international team of physicists talk about deploying a project that for all intents and purposes, solved an impending drinking water crisis in the area I happened to be in. The math, the equipment, everything checked out. On paper and in early stages, the problem had been solved and averted. However, in practice, everything fell apart. The one driving force crucial to keep this project running was to maintain earnest communication with the communities that would be responsible for its operation. Who required training and compensation, what parts needed to be repaired, how could the science be made accessible and easy to understand? Without this vital conduit between people and putting science into practice, positive outcomes weren't going [to come]. 

Look ahead, what are your future goals?

To get through 2024 healthy and in one piece. I wasn't able to foresee any of this four years ago, so I want to remain optimistic and open-minded.

What advice do you have for current and future GSers?

The draw of Columbia for many folks is the world class city it finds itself in.  People can get lost in its cosmopolitan appeal and forget that, if you're not from the area, you're functionally a guest in a new neighborhood. I urge students to take interest in the Harlem and Morningside communities, and the communities they're living in and get to know their neighbors—there are some incredible stories and legacies that bear repeating and uplifting. Some of the most meaningful, enduring connections I've made are with folks I've met either listening to or lending a hand just a stone's throw from campus. 

Also, if you're in STEM (or anyone in this current climate), take Science and Pseudoscience: From Alchemy to AI if there's room. And #departmentalizeCSER!