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Anna Mooney, Ph.D., is a 2025 graduate of the Ph.D. Program in Environmental Studies and Sustainability at Antioch University, New England.

Dissertation Committee:

Jimmy Karlan, EdD, Committee Chair

Gopal Krishnamurthy, PhD, Committee Member

Hannah Miller, PhD, Committee Member

Keywords

racial equity, Whiteness, environmental education, constructivist grounded theory, critical Whiteness studies, racial equity trainers

Document Type

Dissertation

Publication Date

2025

Abstract

This study investigated how racial equity trainers envision racially equitable residential environmental education (REE). While addressing racial inequities has been central to environmental scholarship, equity detours undergirded by systemic power structures continue to pose significant barriers in addressing inequities in practice. The research explored the question: “How do racial equity trainers envision racially equitable residential environmental education?” Using constructivist grounded theory and drawing on portraiture’s “search for goodness,” the study conducted 1-hour virtual interviews with six racial equity trainers, employing iterative coding through the constant comparative method. A 2-hour virtual focus group and subsequent 30-minute “dissertation reality check” provided additional insights and validation for theory construction. The analysis revealed four key characteristics of racially equitable REE, arranged from most foundational to most implemental. First, as an alternative to Whiteness, equitable REE implements practices that acknowledge and address the harm Whiteness causes to Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC), recognizing systemic racism and its impacts. Second, being rooted in BIPOC environmental perspectives ensures that BIPOC perspectives drive program development, emphasizing the connection between racism and environmentalism. Third, selecting for BIPOC leadership involves intentional recruitment and long-term support of BIPOC staff, addressing institutional representation. Fourth, creating an environment where BIPOC students belong ensures all students are viewed as assets, with visiting students’ identities and experiences shaping the relational and emotional environment. The study identified four key recommendations to avoid equity detours: critically examine Whiteness to avoid pacing-for-privilege, connect Whiteness to REE to avoid celebrating diversity, decenter Whiteness in REE to avoid the poverty of culture, and disempower Whiteness in REE to avoid deficit ideology. This research, guided by racial equity trainers’ expertise, reimagines REE through a racial equity lens. The resulting model presents not a rigid template but an embodied approach founded on a comprehensive understanding of Whiteness and its operations within environmental education. This dissertation is available in open access at AURA (https://aura.antioch.edu) and OhioLINK ETD Center (https://etd.ohiolink.edu).

Comments

ORCID Scholar No. 0009-0006-8906-2356

Bio:

Anna Mooney is an environmental educator and researcher with over 14 years of experience creating and delivering equitable and inclusive environmental programs. During her tenure, she developed and implemented innovative environmental education programs that served over 150 school groups annually.

Anna’s professional background includes valuable experience at the Wildlife Conservation Society, where she conducted marketing research and evaluations for the Brooklyn Aquarium and the Bronx Zoo's Madagascar exhibit. This work, combined with her internship at the Institute for Learning Innovation, provided her with a strong foundation in visitor studies and educational program assessment. Her multidisciplinary education includes a Master of Science in Interdisciplinary Environmental Studies from Antioch University, New England, Master of Arts in Psychology from Hunter College, The City University of New York, and a Bachelor of Science in Biopsychology from Wagner College.

As a researcher and practitioner, Anna is committed to reimagining environmental education through the critical examination of Whiteness. She continues to advance this principle through her work, creating inclusive environments where all students are viewed as assets and diverse perspectives shape the educational experience.

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