Dr. Adrienne Cachelin, associate professor in the School of Environment, Society & Sustainability (ESS), has been honored with the 2024-2026 Community Scholar in Residence award by University Neighborhood Partners (UNP) and the Office of the President at the University of Utah. This award highlights her longstanding commitment to community-engaged scholarship, particularly in addressing environmental justice issues on Salt Lake City’s west side. "I am honored to collaborate with University Neighborhood Partners and Westside residents working toward environmental justice,” said Dr. Cachelin. 

Dr. Cachelin, who has been involved in community scholarship for over a decade, leads the SPARC Environmental Justice Lab, a collaborative group focused on addressing environmental health and justice issues through community-based participatory research. In recognizing her contributions, the award letter noted that her work amplifies community voices on issues such as food access, energy sovereignty, homelessness, and air quality.

Reflecting on Dr. Cachelin’s honor, Dr. Phil Dennison, director of ESS, noted, “Dr. Cachelin’s award is a shining example of how our faculty in the School of Environment, Society & Sustainability use community-engaged research and teaching to make real-world impacts.”

Dr. Cachelin’s commitment to combining teaching, research, and service through projects like Growing Educational Pathways for Food Sovereignty (GEPFS) earned her recognition as the UNP Community Scholar in Residence. GEPFS advances both the theory and practice of school belonging by asking how critical, culturally sustaining urban agriculture partnerships can influence how first-generation students experience and navigate belonging in high school and college.

University of Utah president Taylor Randall and University Neighborhood Partners director Jennifer Mayer-Glenn noted in the award letter, “Dr. Cachelin exemplifies the University’s mission to foster student success by preparing students for lives of impact as leaders, while also engaging local and global communities to promote education, health, and quality of life.”

As the 2024-2026 Community Scholar in Residence, Dr. Cachelin will receive financial support to further her work on environmental justice and community-engaged research. The College of Social and Behavioral Science (CSBS) and the School of Environment, Society & Sustainability are proud to support her continued efforts to drive positive change.

“Embodying the CSBS mission and commitment to advancing solutions to society's challenges, Dr. Cachelin is a role model for Utah's community-engagement efforts in research, consensus-building, and scholar-praxis,” said CSBS Dean Michelle M. Camacho.

Congratulations to Dr. Cachelin on this well-deserved recognition!