Leslie Carol Roberts

Leslie Carol Roberts is a Professor in the Graduate Writing Program at California College of the Arts (CCA), where she teaches interdisciplinary courses at the intersection of humanities, design, and storytelling. She is also affiliated with the Architectural Ecologies Lab and co-founded ECOPOESIS, a cross-disciplinary initiative addressing climate anxiety through creative practice. Roberts has previously taught at San José State University and remains an active figure in global literary and educational communities.

Her educational background includes a degree from the University of Michigan and an MFA in Nonfiction Writing from the University of Iowa. These foundations have shaped her global, narrative-driven approach to education and creative scholarship.

Roberts' research and creative work centers on the power of storytelling to confront urgent global challenges, particularly environmental crises and human relationships with remote ecosystems like Antarctica. Her fields of interest span creative nonfiction, environmental narratives, photography, and community-based design. She emphasizes interdisciplinary exploration and resists rigid categorization of artistic or academic identity.

While no formal list of publications is provided beyond her notable book The Entire Earth and Sky: Views on Antarctica, her work has been recognized internationally through lectures and panels. Her writing and journalism have reached audiences across the U.S., Japan, France, the U.K., and the Maldives, reflecting a broad engagement with global themes.

• Fulbright Fellow (2003)
• Fulbright Travel Grant
• NEA+

Roberts has advised graduate students through her role in the MFA program at CCA and has led curriculum development that integrates emerging technologies and humanistic inquiry. She has not received specific grant mentions in the text, but her Fulbright fellowship involved funded research in New Zealand. Her leadership extends beyond the classroom, including her presidency of the Northern California Fulbright Association board.

She co-founded ECOPOESIS with architect Adam Marcus, a creative forum that brings together professionals from diverse disciplines to use design thinking and storytelling as tools for navigating climate anxiety. This initiative reflects her commitment to collaborative, action-oriented responses to ecological challenges.