Judith Enck

Judith Enck is a Lecturer and Senior Fellow at Bennington College’s Center for the Advancement of Public Action (CAPA), where she has taught courses on plastic pollution, environmental policy, and public action since Fall 2018. As President and founder of Beyond Plastics, she leads a national initiative to eliminate plastic pollution. Her research focuses on environmental science and sustainability, culminating in the co-authored book The Problem with Plastic (2025). Enck’s work bridges advocacy, education, and policy analysis, with a strong emphasis on practical solutions to ecological crises.

She is a former Regional Administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (2009–2017), appointed by President Obama, and previously served as Deputy Secretary for the Environment in the New York Governor’s Office. At Bennington, her courses include Beyond Plastic Pollution, Environmental Action Post-Fellowship, and Pre-Fellowship Classes, reflecting her commitment to experiential learning. Enck also contributes to public discourse as a regular panelist on The Roundtable (WAMC, NPR).