Katherine Cushing

Katherine Cushing is a Professor in the Department of Environmental Studies at San José State University, part of the College of Social Sciences. She leads community-engaged research initiatives focused on environmental issues in urban settings, particularly in collaboration with the City of San José and local neighborhoods through CommUniverCity San José.

Her research emphasizes environmental justice, sustainable waste management, and community-based solutions to urban environmental challenges. She works closely with students and community partners to develop practical interventions and policy recommendations.

Cushing highlights the importance of university-community partnerships in addressing complex social and environmental problems, enabling resource and data sharing across institutions. Her work exemplifies transdisciplinary, action-oriented scholarship aimed at real-world impact.

She has collaborated on projects assessing illegal dumping, focusing on outreach, education, and evaluating support programs for local businesses. These efforts involve student researchers and multilingual community engagement across immigrant and low-income neighborhoods.

• Affiliation: Department of Environmental Studies, College of Social Sciences, San José State University
• Initiative: CommUniverCity San José
• Sponsors: City of San José, Global Philanthropy Partnership