معرفی
Dr. Sarah Jaquette Ray (she/her) is a Professor and Chair of the Environmental Studies Department at California State Polytechnic University, Humboldt. She works at the intersection of social justice and climate emotions, particularly among youth activists and in higher education. As a certified mindfulness teacher through the UCLA Mindfulness Awareness Research Center, she brings contemplative practices to environmental education.
Her research interests center on climate anxiety, eco-grief, and the emotional dimensions of environmentalism. She explores how emotions like disgust shape environmental exclusion, particularly regarding race, gender, and disability. Her work bridges environmental humanities with practical applications for climate educators and activists. Ray examines how mindfulness practices can help individuals navigate the emotional challenges of climate awareness while avoiding burnout and maintaining efficacy.
Ray serves on the board for the Rocky Mountain Ecodharma Retreat Center and the scientific advisory board for the Climate Mental Health Network. She hosts the Climate Magic podcast exploring the emotional life of climate politics. Her publications focus on transforming climate anxiety into climate action through community building, mindfulness, and critical analysis of individualism in environmental movements.
As an educator, she teaches mindfulness courses on climate and activism, emphasizing the importance of emotional resilience in climate justice work. Her approach challenges the 'ethos of sacrifice' in environmental work, advocating instead for practices of gratitude, abundance, and relationship-building as foundations for sustainable climate action.
