Urban Food Systems in Flint, Michigan: Identifying Leverage Points

Advisor: Maria Claudi Lopez

I am an interdisciplinary environmental scientist broadly interested in the fields of transformations and environmental justice. My passion lies at combining theory and practice to learn more about how to promote positive change towards just and sustainable futures. In 2021, I moved from Brazil to the US to join the PhD program in Community Sustainability (CSUS) at Michigan State University as a Fulbright fellow. During my time in CSUS, I have developed an identity as a community-engaged scholar that seeks toproduce actionable knowledge that can address real-world problems. Therefore, at the heart of my work are participatory modes of inquiry that allow me to co-create scientific knowledge in collaboration with local communities and practitioners that are my partners in research. My career path has been diverse, so I have experience working with energy systems, food systems and protected areas. I have done research that engages with the following concepts and theories: social-ecological systems and social-ecologicalresilience; participatory scenario planning; energy justice and energy sovereignty;ecosystem services and nature’s contributions to people; community engagement and participatory research.

To learn more about my work, see my publications on Google Scholar: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=HeXetvIAAAAJ&hl=pt-BR

To learn more about my work in the Brazilian Amazon as a part of the project“Convergence for Innovative Energy Solutions: Renewable energy solutions for off-grid communities,” see: https://www.communitypowered.info/

To learn more about work in Flint, Michigan as a part of the “Flint Leverage Points Project,” see: https://www.canr.msu.edu/flintfood/resources-and-publications/scenarios-for-the-future-of-the-flint-food-system-visions-for-2042

Rafael's Graduate Work:

For my dissertation, I am examining how traditional communities and non-governmental organizations work together to advance sustainability and justice within the Tapajós Basin in the eastern region of the Brazilian Amazon. Specifically, I am interested in how off-grid electrification projects that use renewable energy technologies (e.g., solar panels) can be a tool to promote energy justice. In parallel, I am exploring the transformative potential and impacts of a grassroots network that gathers social movements and practitioners that work together to advance a just and inclusive energy transition in Brazil. I am passionate about education and have diverse teaching experiences. In parallel to my PhD in Community Sustainability, I am also enrolled in the Specialization in Gender, Justice, and Environmental Change; Graduate Certificate in Community Engagement; and Graduate Certificate in College Teaching.