Environmental Humanities Research Center

The EHRC, which is directed by Art History Chair James Nisbet, brings together years of environmental humanities research at UCI, including the work of the Environmental Humanities Research Cluster. Established in 2021 and co-directed by Nisbet and Visual Studies Ph.D. student Aaron Katzeman, the cluster organized workshops and shared relevant research from faculty across disciplines in the School of Humanities. Its rapid transition to center status is a testament to the urgency inherent in the environmental humanities.

The environmental humanities bridge the sciences and humanities to form more nuanced understandings of today’s environmental crises. Environmental humanities scholars bring critical analysis, cultural attunement, storytelling, historical context and a deep understanding of human beliefs and motivations to these multifaceted issues.