Claudia J. Ford

Dr. Claudia J. Ford is a Professor of Environmental Studies at the State University of New York at Potsdam and serves as Program Faculty at Southwestern College, Santa Fe, NM, with a four-decade career spanning international development and women's health across all continents.

Her educational credentials include:

• BA in Biology from Columbia University
• MFA in Creative Nonfiction Writing from Vermont College of Fine Arts
• MBA in Health Administration from Antioch University
• PhD in Environmental Studies from Antioch University

Dr. Ford's interdisciplinary research integrates environmental science with social justice, focusing on sustainability frameworks, gender equity in ecological systems, and the preservation of indigenous knowledge. Her work uniquely bridges spiritual ecology with practical applications in sustainable agriculture and women's health, emphasizing decolonized approaches to environmental literature and justice.

As a midwife and ethnobotanist, she actively contributes to food sovereignty movements through board leadership at Soul Fire Farm Institute and The Black Farmer Fund, organizations dedicated to dismantling racism in agricultural systems and supporting Black farmers.

Dr. Ford's creative practice as a writer, poet, and visual artist informs her pedagogy, while her personal journey as a single mother of four children shapes her holistic perspective on global ecological challenges.