Alaí Reyes-Santos

Dr. Alaí Reyes-Santos is a Professor of Practice at the University of Oregon School of Law and serves as Director of the PNW Just Futures Institute for Climate and Racial Justice (4.5M Mellon Foundation grant) and the Water Equity Fund (1.5M Oregon state allocation). As founder of ACC, a BIPOC-led consulting firm, she facilitates organizational transformations across non-profits, government, and academic institutions.

• Education: PhD in Literature (UC San Diego, 2007), MA in Spanish (UC San Diego, 2004), BA in Comparative Literature (University of Puerto Rico, 2001).

Her research bridges Environmental Justice, Decolonial Epistemology, and Caribbean Studies through community-action research projects like the Oregon Water Futures Collaborative (530M state package) and the Healers Project, a digital humanities site documenting Afro-Indigenous traditional ecological knowledge. The articles reflect her focus on BIPOC water stewardship, climate policy frameworks, and decolonial pedagogy, with notable collaborations in the Oregon Water Futures and Color of Water directories.

Scientific Recognition:

• 2023 National Academies of Sciences planning committee member
• 2022 AASHE Racial Equity & Sustainability Award
• 2022 UO Sustainability Teaching Excellence
• 2020 NAACP Woman of Recognition
• 2016 Black Women of Achievement Distinguished Woman Award

Dr. Reyes-Santos leads interdisciplinary teams including Oregon Water Futures Collaborative and Healers Project for over a decade, with grants from the Mellon Foundation, Environmental Protection Agency, and Meyer Memorial Trust. Her work integrates ThetaHealing meditation techniques with social justice advocacy.