Ph.D. candidate Joanne Pérodin appointed to White House Environmental Justice Advisory Council

Joanne Pérodin, a Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Public Policy and Administration at the Steven J. Green School of International & Public Affairs, is among 12 members recently appointed to the White House Environmental Justice Advisory Council.

Established in 2021, the council provides recommendations on current and historic environmental justice matters.

“This appointment means so much, as it acknowledges my contribution to disaster resilience, community engagement and social equity,” Pérodin said. “It also represents a major milestone in my professional portfolio and a testament to the impact of my work.”

Pérodin came to the U.S. from Haiti to attend a university in Maryland. Before finishing her bachelor’s in kinesiology, she sought to build a career in emergency management but wasn’t sure how to proceed.

After a 2010 visit to her family, she left Haiti three days before the country’s devastating earthquake. She decided to return and committed herself to volunteer in schools. She met with teachers and staff and provided first-aid training.

“The disaster prompted me to share something Haitians could use to mitigate any additional risk since so many people lost so much,” she said. “I knew working in the field is the place for me. I want to build a partnership with those affected the most.”

In 2015 during the Ebola outbreak, one of her mentors invited her to West Africa to join an ongoing project to create a regional emergency management system officially called the West African Disaster Preparedness Initiative. Her leadership in their tabletop disaster simulation brought together African tribal leaders and municipal officials.

Today she is a senior director at the CLEO Institute, a nonprofit organization working on climate education and advocacy. Her dissertation explores factors influencing disaster risk perception, community engagement and social equity. This approach involves addressing negative historical impacts in communities with the greatest need and how those voices are reflected in those spaces while acknowledging the systemic structures hindering those community members from thriving.

For example, after Hurricane Maria she worked with the island nation of Dominica to develop a disaster response that took into account the unique culture of the people of in the Kalinago territory. The country had been devastated by a major hurricane and housing, food and drinking water were in short supply.

“There’s work to be done everywhere and I’m always willing to go and lend my expertise as I don’t limit my work to one geographic location. I do feel comfortable in Miami, with one of the highest population of Haitians outside of Haiti residing here,” Pérodin said.

She looks forward to graduating with her doctorate in December after a successful time at the university, during which she co-published research with faculty and contributed to several conference presentations.

"I consider Joanne as a professional colleague rather than as a student,” said N. Emel Ganapati, professor of Public Policy and Administration. “It truly has been a privilege to have her in the classroom and to serve as her advisor in the doctoral program. Combined with her leadership skills, Joanne’s unwavering commitment to environmental justice and disaster resilience, and her tireless service to vulnerable communities make her an exemplary FIU student.”