Doctoral Student, Geography (Fall 2018 – Spring 2021, coursework complete) Department of Geography. College of Arts and Sciences. University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. Advisor: Gabriela Valdivia, Ph.D. Coursework completed. Dissertation 2025.

Masters of Science in Public Health, Environmental Sciences and Engineering (Dec 2016) Department of Environmental Science and Engineering. Gillings School of Global Public Health. University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. Advisor: Mark Sobsey, Ph.D. Thesis: Methods for Surveillance of Antimicrobial Resistant Bacteria in Environmental Water and Wastewater

Bachelors of Environmental Science, Soil Science and Hydrology (May 2009) Department of Crop and Soil Sciences. College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences. University of Georgia, Athens. Advisor: Todd C. Rasmussen, Ph.D. Thesis: Kilimo Hai: Living Earth – Sustainable Agriculture in Tanzania

Co-Founder and Board Member - Trans Resource Collective Feb 2023 - Present

TRC is a philanthropic organization created to develop, build, and improve programmatic work centered on the empowerment, liberation, mobilization, and wellness of transgender and gender non-conforming people in the US and abroad. Through donations, fellowships, grants, and collective economics, TRC infuses resources into trans and GNC thought leaders, movements, enterprises, art, scholarship, history, and expertise. 501c3 in development

Principal at KD Brown Consulting 5/2020– Present

I create rigorous and goal-centered programmatic portfolios and community-driven, DEI and justice-centered campaigns, projects, convenings, and philanthropy. I specialize in operational strategy and KPIs for anti-fascist and LGBTQ+ initiatives. My toolkit is pro-Black, Indigenous, and Transgender futures and was engineered to activate equitable and reparative re-worlding.

Co-Founder, Monitoring, Evaluation, Learning Principal - Abolition Research Collective 10/2021 - Jan 2024

Strategic consulting for an international, worker-owned collective of abolition-centered researchers, scientists, artists, activists, and thought leaders. ARC creates ethical design and innovative research for health campaigns, legal defense, labor protection, climate mitigation, and public education. Organizational leads on family sabbatical until 2026. 501c4 in development

Geography Lecturer / Doctoral Researcher - University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill Aug 2018 – May 2021

Classes included Global Environmental Justice, World Regional Geography, Liberation Geographies of the US South, Undergraduate Research Seminar, and Geographic Information Systems. Research centered on abolition ecology, just transition from extractive industrialization, health geography, climate change resilience, queer ecologies, trans liberation, and land dispossession.

WaSH Health Equity Researcher - The Water Institute Aug 2016 – Jan 2018

Worked with Dr. Jamie Bartram at the Gillings School of Global Public Health, UNC, Chapel Hill. Performed programmatic evaluations of case studies, public policies, and the built environment related to water, sanitation, and hygiene (WaSH) interventions in low-and middle-income settings. Analysis primarily focused on a needs assessment and stakeholder analysis for the inclusion of LGBTQAI+ communities in global WaSH policy, focusing sector-specific projects such as funding for provision of infrastructure for management of reproductive health and menstrual waste.

Environmental Health Lecturer / Graduate Researcher - Gillings School of Global Public Health, UNC Aug 2014 – May 2016

Classes focused on human health risk assessments and strategies for mitigating hazards. Research focused on the risk management of infectious disease and the development of low-cost, laboratory technologies for the culture-based detection and surveillance of cholera in low-resource and disaster settings. Other research centered on the detection of antimicrobial-resistant bacteria in water and wastewater systems.

WaSH and Infectious Disease Researcher - Gillings School of Global Public Health Apr – Oct 2015

Designed and facilitated the preliminary phase of a Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation funded expert elicitation centered on the development of a pathogen die-off model. Assisted planners, donors, researchers, and engineers assess the relative hazard and menstrual health support of different sanitation technologies in low to middle income settings. Developed study instruments collaboratively with international experts. Performed multiple focus groups and in-person interviews, and led the data analysis. Results led to greater investment and research in low-cost, in situ sewage treatment rather than large scale infrastructure within international development agencies.

Public Health Research Consultant - New York State Dept. of Health, US Agency for Toxic Substances Disease Registry (Buffalo, NY) Oct 2011 – Aug 2014

Developer and consulting researcher for ATSDR’s Biomonitoring of Great Lakes Populations focused on the evaluation of heavy metals, PCBs, PBDEs, PFOS, PFOA and various pesticides in the blood and urine of 225 Burmese refugees subsisting on fish caught from highly contaminated waters in Western New York. Work included:

● Research, design and development of culturally appropriate and scientifically stringent interview materials and sampling strategies.

● Coordination of communication and active collaboration between Burmese community leaders and federal and state governmental researchers.

● Training of Burmese elicitors and direct facilitation of interviews and specimen collection.

● Advisory role regarding elucidation of results and ethical use of study data to support the control and prevention of future exposure via public health campaigns, policy and remediation initiatives.

Refugee Resettlement Caseworker - Hope Refugee Drop-In Center and Jericho Road Community Health Center (Buffalo, NY) July 2012 – Oct 2013

Performed medical case management for groundbreaking refugee post-resettlement agency. Clients included refugees from Burma, Congo, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Nepal, Iran, Iraq, Rwanda, Somalia and Uganda. Work included:

● Aiding clients to solve specific issues with social services, green cards, educational enrollment, transportation, work, housing, healthcare and domestic abuse.

● Use of participatory development techniques to build self-sufficiency and personal capacity in order to normalize resettlement conditions and overcome trauma.

● Direct collaboration with translators and community leaders.

● Worked with refugee women and girls in reproductive healthcare and justice.

Public Health and Environmental Justice Project Manager - Waterkeeper Alliance, Buffalo Niagara Riverkeeper (Buffalo, NY) Nov 2010 – Nov 2012

Funded by EPA Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, this project received state and national recognition for radically expanding traditional methods of risk communication and served as the primary catalyst for ATSDR’s biomonitoring study. Work included:

● Coordination and collaboration with state and federal government agencies and community public health, refugee and academic organizations to collect information and advice on how to enhance fish consumption advisory initiatives nationally.

● Design and implementation of an IRB-approved behavioral risk assessment and proximity analysis of 200 urban subsistence anglers in the Buffalo and Niagara River Areas of Concern.

● Training and coordination of translators and community leaders in the launch of a multi-pronged, multilingual, low-literacy educational campaign for culturally and socio-economically diverse communities regarding fish consumption, reproductive protection, and human health.

Quality Assurance and Control Manager - Waterkeeper Alliance, Buffalo Niagara Riverkeeper (Buffalo, NY) Nov 2010 – Apr 2012

Responsible for the planning, development and management of all organizational quality assurance and quality control efforts associated with federal remedial dredging and habitat improvement of the Buffalo River Area of Concern in conjunction with US Army Corps of Engineers, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation and the US EPA. Work included:

● Development and execution of four quality assurance project plans.

● Auditing and assessment of data quality objectives, analytical methodologies, data sets, standard operating procedures, field equipment and technical reports.

● Training and certification in US EPA field and laboratory auditing, quality documentation tracking, inventory and reporting, and data validation, verification and usability techniques

Water Testing and Outreach Coordinator - Waterkeeper Alliance, Buffalo Niagara Riverkeeper (Buffalo, NY) Sep 2009 – Nov 2010

Leader of a community-based participatory water quality surveillance program focused on monitoring of physical, chemical and biological parameters in 27 urban and rural waterways in Western New York. Work focused on assessing the overall health of each system and track combined and sanitary sewer overflows and illegal dumping. Citizens were trained to perform monitoring with the aim to address the dearth of information on the relative health and quality of local water ways as a result of infrequent, or sometimes absent, agency-lead monitoring. Work included:

● Training and coordination of community volunteers for weekly field monitoring, visual inspection, use of in-situ water quality equipment, and IDEXX analysis of grab samples.

● Data collection, management, analysis and reporting.

● Grant writing and administration, including a $75,000 of grant used to hire new employees, upgrade field equipment, expand technical operations and increase educational outreach.

Dissertation Research

My work explores the relationship between transgender and gender non-conforming identities, access to adequate healthcare, anti-transgender political propaganda, and exposure to the prison industrial complex. I explore the prehistoric and continued existence of transgender people and uplift the leadership of gender non-conforming identities in the fight for social justice and provide in-depth public health analysis for gender affirming medical care as a civil right.

Doctoral Research Aug 2018 - May 2021

Department of Geography, UNC, Chapel Hill. My work focuses on abolition ecology, just transition from extractive industrialization, climate change, and land dispossession. Utilizing legal, labor, environmental, antiracist, decolonial, queer, and indigenous theory, I explore equitable and secure land access as a strategy to promote sustainable economic development and community cohesion in multi-racial, low-income communities in the rural US South, specifically in Appalachia and the Black Belt. I use critical ethnography, archival research, GIS, demography, community-driven action, and documentary praxis as methods to build and gather stories, data, and materials. Proposal is in development. Course work complete.

Environmental Microbiology Laboratory Aug 2015 – Dec 2016

Graduate Researcher under Dr. Mark Sobsey. Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill. Developed and validated accessible, culture-based methods for the detection and surveillance of antimicrobial resistant, Gram-negative bacteria in community and hospital sewage, treated wastewater and surface water in low-resource settings. Work supported the World Health Organization’s Global AMR Surveillance Project.

International Civil Rights Center and Museum Aug – Dec 2015

Graduate Researcher under Dr. Geni Eng. Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. Performed archival research to investigate and document post-Civil War incidents of lynching in North Carolina. Work supplemented the Equal Justice Initiative’s report Lynching in America: Confronting the Legacy of Racial Terror.

Environmental Microbiology Laboratory Aug 2014 – Jan 2016

Graduate Researcher under Dr. Mark Sobsey . Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. Acted as primary innovator of a prototype, low-cost bacteriologic culture medium for the detection and quantification of Vibrio cholerae, the bacterium that causes cholera, in drinking water sources. The technology is novel and designed specifically for use in low-capacity and disaster settings that lack consistent access to laboratories and electricity.

Thompson Environmental Soil Chemistry Laboratory Mar – Aug 2009

Laboratory Technician under Dr. Aaron Thompson, College of Agriculture and Environmental Science, University of Georgia, Athens. Conducted laboratory experiments to evaluate Rayleigh fractionation of iron isotopes in volcanic basalt to evaluate redox processes, biogeochemical transitions, and subsequent implications for nutrient and contaminant behavior in soils.

Rosemond Laboratory for Aquatic Ecosystem Ecology Sept 2008 – May 2009

Research Technician under Dr. Amy Rosemond. Odum School of Ecology, University of Georgia, Athens. Performed collection, identification and enumeration of freshwater benthic macro-invertebrates for statewide watershed assessment of biological health of urban headwater streams and rivers in Georgia.

Laboratory for Environmental Analysis Oct 2007 – May 2008

Research Assistant under Dr. William Miller. Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, University of Georgia, Athens. Conducted analysis of nutrients, heavy metals, and organic and inorganic contaminants in soil, water, and waste material for research and regulatory purposes.

Global Environmental Justice (GEOG 435) Dept of Geography, UNC. Co-instruction with Dr. Elizabeth Havice (Spring 2021). Advanced course brings geographical perspectives on place, space, scale, and environmental change to the study of environmental justice. Topics include environmental policy processes, environmental justice movements, environmental health risks, conservation, urban environments, and role of science in environmental politics and justice.

World Regional Geography (GEOG 120) Dept of Geography, UNC. (Fall 2020). Teaching Assistant to Dr. John Lepofsky. A survey of the geographic structure of human activity in major world regions and nations. Emphasizes current developments related to population, urbanization, and economic activity.

Geographies of the US South (GEOG 271) Dept of Geography, UNC. (Fall 2019). Instructor of record. Class surveyed a broad array of topics related to the geography of the US South and centered on decolonial, anti-racist, indigenous, queer, and liberative histories and present issues. Class won a university-wide award for outstanding undergraduate education.

Undergraduate Geography Research Seminar (GEOG 697) Dept of Geography, UNC. Co-instructor with Dr. Gabriela Valdivia (Spring 2019). Class centered on study of the approaches, key concepts, and methods of geography, emphasizing the application of these approaches through hands-on independent research designed and implemented by students.

Introduction to Geographic Information (GEOG 370) Dept of Geography, UNC. (Fall 2018) Teaching Assistant to Dr. Ashley Ward. Survey of geographic data sources including maps, photos, digital images, Census, and others. Emphasized appropriate uses, limitations, and skilled interpretation in physical and human geography applications.

Environmental Health (ENVR 600) Gillings School of Global Public Health, UNC. Instructed lecture sessions for Fall 2015, Spring 2016, and Fall 2016 semesters. Designed and lead by Dr. Courtney Woods, the course exposed students to current practices used to assess human health risk and strategies for mitigating and managing environmental hazards. Students examined domestic and global issues to learn how science and policy influence health and environmental outcomes.

Environmental Science and Engineering Undergraduate Research (ENVR 695) Gillings School of Global Public Health, UNC. Acted as primary mentor, research manager, and microbial techniques instructor for the following undergraduates who received academic credit for their laboratory research: Andy Kolton (Fall 2016), Megan Lott (Spring 2016), Carolina Reed (Spring 2016), Alan Lu (Fall 2015), and Katherine Mulligan (Spring 2015). Students designed and implemented novel environmental microbiological research

Soils and Hydrology (CRSS / FANR 3060) College of Agriculture and Environmental Science and Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources. University of Georgia – Athens (Spring 2009) Junior level soils and hydrology course instructed by Todd C. Rasmussen, Ph.D. and William Miller, Ph.D. Taught laboratories focused on physical, chemical and biological properties of soil and water resources, topographic and land use interpretation, watershed management frameworks, hydrologic process in myriad landscapes, agricultural productivity and fertilization, as well as soil and water quality conservation and contamination remediation.

Horne, Andrea “How Black Trans Women Changed the World (Vol 3) The Incredible Story of Mrs. Georgia Black: That’s Her Business or Omina Vincit Amor (Love Conquers All)”. Manga Novelette Series (in press, 2024). Editor and researcher role for fifteen archival explorations of Black Trans women throughout history.

Rhodes, S., Brown, K., Cooper, L. Hall, D., Muhammad, N., (In press). “Environmental Racism in North Carolina’s Hog Industry: Lessons Learned from Community-Driven Participatory Research and the People’s Professor”. In T. Davies & A. Mah (Eds.), Environmental Justice and Citizen Science in a Post-Truth Age. (pp. TBD). Manchester, UK: Manchester University https://www.manchesteropenhive.com/view/9781526137005/9781526137005.00014.xml

Brown, K., Cunningham, S., & Goguen, A. (2012). A People’s Guide to Eating Fish in Western New York. Chicago, IL & Buffalo, NY. Book published by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency & Buffalo Niagara Riverkeeper. Can be viewed at http://bnriverkeeper.z-paper.com/FCA/#/1/

Conference Presentations and Invited Talks:

Brown, K. Rhodes, S. Thomas, V. (De)Toxifying Ties: Unveiling and Undoing Violent Borders in Environmental Science, Public Health and Medicine," for the National Women's Studies Association annual conference. (Nov 2019), San Francisco, CA.

Brown, K. “Shit as a Reservoir of Resistance: How Delayed Governance May Have Catalyzed the Post-Antibiotic Apocalypse” Session. Making Objectivity in Data-Centric Knowledge Practices. Meeting of the Society for the Social Studies of Science, 4S (Sept 2019) New Orleans, LA.

Brown, K. “Rural Economies of Waste: Environmental Justice, Antimicrobial Resistance, and Industrial Agriculture in North Carolina" American Association for Geographers Annual Conference (2019) Washington, DC.

Brown, K. Brunson, E. Shor, K, and Rhodes, S. Just Transitions: Our Story, Our Demands, and Our Future. Rural Advancement Foundational International (RAFI) USA. Come to the Table Conference (March 2019) Charlotte, NC.

Brown, K. Brunson, E. Shor, K, and Rhodes, S. Just Transitions: Our Story, Our Demands, and Our Future. Movement and Story Telling Workshop. North Carolina Environmental Justice Summit. Making Revolution Irresistible: A Summit Celebrating Promise, Change & Action (October 2018) Whitakers, NC.

Rhodes, S. & Brown, K (2017, September) Occurrence of Antibiotic Resistant Bacteria in Swine and Swine Workplace Environments on Confinement Hog Operations and Antibiotic-Free Hog Operations in North Carolina. Verbal Presentation (contributed). Carolina Meat Conference, NC Choices, Winston-Salem, NC.

Lott, M. Brown, K. Sobsey, M. (2017, May) Direct One-Step Culture Detection of Vibrio cholerae in Drinking Water in Low-Resource and Disaster Settings. Poster Presentation. Water Microbiology Conference, Chapel Hill, NC.

Sobsey, M. & Brown, K., (2016, October). Invited Talk. World Health Advisory Group on Integrated Surveillance of Antimicrobial Resistance Meeting. Raleigh, NC.

Brown, K. (2016, August). Invited Talk. Emerging and Infectious Disease Meeting. Comparative Medical Institute. North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC.

Brown, K. & Rhodes, S. (2015, October) Menstruation management and WaSH interventions: development of future performance indicators from field-based case studies. Poster Presentation. Water and Health Conference, Chapel Hill, NC.

Brown, K., Perez Rodriguez, C., Amaya, E., Reyes, D., Becker-Dreps, S., Ryan, E., Abebe, L., Vilchez, S., & Sobsey, M. (2015, October) Development of surveillance methods for the detection of antimicrobial resistant bacteria in the environment: Leon, Nicaragua and Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Verbal Presentation. Water and Health Conference, Chapel Hill, NC.

Perez Rodriguez, C., Brown, K., Amaya, E., Reyes, D., Becker-Dreps, S., Ryan, E., Vilchez, S., & Sobsey, M. (2015, October) Linking the environment with humans: evidence of global spread of extended spectrum Beta-lactamase Escherichia coli producers. Poster Presentation. Water and Health Conference, Chapel Hill, NC.

Brown, K., Bailey, E., & Sobsey, M. (2015, September). Evaluation of Chromogenic Clinical Diagnostic Culture Media for Direct Detection and Enumeration of Antimicrobial Resistant E. coli and Coliforms in Sewage and Other Environmental Samples. Verbal Presentation. International Symposium on Health-Related Water Microbiology Conference, Lisbon, Portugal.

Sobsey, M. E. Ryan, S. Vilchez, & Brown, K. (June 2015). International surveillance of antimicrobial resistant bacteria in diverse farm, ambient water and waste water samples as sources for human exposure. Verbal Presentation. International Development Research Centre, Ottawa, Canada.

Brown, K., & Ireland, A. (2012, October). More than a Fish Fry: Enhancing fish consumption advisories and improving risk assessment for subsistence communities in Buffalo, New York. Poster Presentation. American Public Health Association Annual Meeting and Exposition, San Francisco, CA.

Reuther J., Brown, K., Ireland, A., Lee, R., Lewis-Michl, E., & Wattigney, W. (2012, October). Respondent-Driven Sampling for recruiting persons from Burma who eat Great Lakes fish, Buffalo, New York. Paper. International Conference on Methods for Surveying and Enumerating Hard-to-Reach Populations, New Orleans.

Brown, K., Cunningham, S., Dalton, J., & Sargent, P.L. (2012, June) Go Fish: Role-playing Food Justice. Invited Talk. Allied Media Conference. Detroit, MI.

Brown, K. (2009 February). Kilimo Hai: Living Earth - Sustainable Agriculture in Tanzania. Poster Presentation. Soil Science Society of Georgia Annual Meeting. Athens, Georgia.

Technical Publications

Prepared for Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 5, Chicago, IL. (2011). Quality Assurance Project Plan – Enhancing Fish Consumption Advisories in the Buffalo and Niagara Region (Pub ID: EPAGLNPO-2010-TX-2-411-579). Buffalo, NY: Brown, K.

Prepared for the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 5, Chicago, IL. (2011). Quality Assurance Project Plan – Buffalo River Remedial Action Plan Coordination, 2010 – 2012 Coordinated Water Quality Monitoring (Pub ID: EPAGLNPO-2010-TX-1-671-862). Brown, K., & Winkler, K.

Prepared for U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 2, New York, NY. (2011). Quality Assurance Project Plan: Buffalo Niagara Riverkeeper Environmental Justice Program – Water Quality Monitoring and Sampling. (Pub ID: EQ-97223710). Brown, K., & Murawski, C.

Prepared for U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, New York State Department of Health, and Buffalo Sewer Authority. (2011). Green Infrastructure Solutions to Buffalo’s Sewer Overflow Challenge – Feasibility Study

Scholarships and Awards:

Undergraduate Teaching and Staff Award (May 2020), UNC, Chapel Hill. University-wide, teaching award chosen on the basis of demonstrated teaching excellence, success in positively affecting a broad spectrum of students both in and outside of the classroom, and creation of a dynamic learning environment.

Center for Study of the American South Research Award (May 2019), The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Research award for my proposed project: Rectifying Environmental Justice in the Black Belt: Documenting Ownership in the Wake of Industry. This project focuses on the retention of African-American-owned land in North Carolina’s rural Black Belt through the lens of environmental justice activism, collective mapping, and community storytelling

Horizon Award (2017), Graduate Education Advancement Board, The Graduate School, UNC, Chapel Hill. Recognizes graduate students whose research holds “extremely high potential for making a significant contribution to the educational, economic, physical, social or cultural well-being of North Carolina citizens and beyond.”

Comparative Medicine Institute Emerging and Infectious Disease Program Team (2016) Center for Comparative Medicine and Translational Research, North Carolina State University.

Callis H. Atkins Scholarship for Environmental Science and Engineering (2015 – 2016), Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.

Graduate and Professional Student Federation Travel Grant (2015), The Graduate School, University of North Carolina Chapel Hill. Awarded for proposed collaboration and training at the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Nicaragua, León School of Medicine.

William Thomas Small, Jr. and Rosa Williamson Departmental Diversity Scholarship (2014 – 2015), Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.

Lois Gibbs Fellowship (2011 – 2012) Clean Air Coalition of Western New York. Selective, 10-month community organizing and leadership development training.

Environmental Justice Community Travel Scholarship (2010), Environmental Justice and Health Forum, Environmental Section, American Public Health Association Annual Conference, Denver, CO.

W.K. Kellogg Foundation Travel Award (2010), W.K. Kellogg Foundation Food and Community Gathering, Chandler, AZ.

Angela Glover Blackwell and Majora Carter Diversity Travel Award (2010), Local Government Commission, 9th Annual New Partners for Smart Growth: Building Safe, Healthy and Livable Communities, Seattle, WA.

Service in the Field of Soil Science Scholarship (2009), Soil Science Society of Georgia. Awarded for undergraduate research in sustainable agriculture in Tanzania.

Awarded Grants:

Entrepreneurial Accelerator Grant (2024), Transgender District. San Francisco, California. $10,000.

Emerging and Infectious Disease and Innovations Research Grant (2016), Comparative Medicine Institute Seed Grant Competition. North Carolina State University. Awarded for work in the development and validation of an accessible methodology for the detection of antimicrobial resistant indicator organisms in environmental hotspots, M. Sobsey (PI), K. Brown, Sobsey Lab, UNC. $10,000.

IDRC Research Award (2015) International Development Research Centre. Awarded for “International surveillance of antimicrobial resistant bacteria in diverse farm, ambient water and waste water samples as sources for human exposure. M. Sobsey (PI), S. Vilchez, E. Ryan, K. Brown. $40,000.

People, Prosperity and the Planet (P3) Innovations Grant (2016), United States Environmental Protection Agency. Awarded for the development and validation of a prototype microbial test for the detection of Vibrio cholera in drinking water in low-resource and disaster settings. M. Sobsey (PI), K. Brown, E. Bailey, L. Abebe. Sobsey Lab, UNC. $15,000.

Environmental Justice Community Impact Grant (2012 – 2013), New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. Awarded for “Environmental Justice Education and Citizen Action for Buffalo and Niagara Rivers Remediation” project. R. Drake (PI), K. Brown. and C. Murowski. Buffalo Niagara Riverkeeper. $49,535.

Community Action for Renewed Environment (CARE) Grant (2011 – 2013), United States Environmental Protection Agency. Awarded to develop and perform a community-based air quality testing program, a photo voice project, an environmental hazards inventory, and for capacity building workshops. E. Heaney (PI). Clean Air Coalition of Western New York. $100,000.

Environmental Justice Community Impact Grant (2011 – 2012), New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. Awarded for “Environmental Justice Education and Citizen Action Western, NY” project. R. Drake (PI), K. Brown. and C. Murowski. Buffalo Niagara Riverkeeper. $50,000.

Channels Documentary Grant (2011 – 2012), Squeaky Wheel. Awarded for Everybody Lives Downstream – exploring the industrial history of the Buffalo River. A. Scime (Director) and K. Brown. $5,000

Great Lakes Restoration Initiative Grant (2010 – 2012), United States Environmental Protection Agency. Awarded for “Enhanced Fish Consumption Advisories in the Buffalo Niagara Region” project. K. Brown (PI). Buffalo Niagara Riverkeeper. $224,997

Great Lakes Restoration Initiative Grant (2010 – 2012), United States Environmental Protection Agency. Awarded to develop the Buffalo River Remediation Action Plan. J. Jedlicka (PI), K. Winkler, R. Drake, K. Brown, and M. Wooster. Buffalo Niagara Riverkeeper. $600,000

Environmental Justice Small Grants (2010 – 2011), United States Environmental Protection Agency. Awarded for the Riverwatch Volunteer Waterway Monitoring Program. K. Li (PI), K. Brown, R. Drake. Buffalo Niagara Riverkeeper. $25,000

Pedagogy, Public Speaking, and Social Media

● Curriculum development and instruction for higher education settings, including undergraduate, graduate and medical students around climate change, environmental engineering, infrastructural financing, public health, toxicology, infectious disease, political ecology, critical race theory, abolition and radical movements, risk assessment, and environmental racism.

● Curriculum development and instruction for higher education on myriad topics. Notably, won university-wide award for my class on the US South, taught through the lens of anti-racist, decolonial, and indigenous theory.

● Workshop design and instruction for accessible public educational campaigns centered on risk reduction, disaster response, climate change, environmental protection, gender-based violence, restorative justice, evictions, LGBTQIA++ health, and infectious disease mitigation.

● Interest in synthesis and development of organizational / project-related social media presence, branding, and messaging on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and TikTok.

Policy and Legislation

● Comfortable with all stages of public policy cycle including issue identification, planning, research, analysis, stakeholder engagement, administration, budgeting, governance, legislation, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation

● Authored bills with legislators, worked with senators and assembly rules committees, collaboratively created white papers synthesizing relevant information and constituent experiences and input.

● Worked collaboratively with other groups and organizations with these legislative processes as well as with state and local budgeting.

Qualitative and Quantitative Data Collection:

● Design, development, and implementation of mixed methods research projects and associated instruments, monitoring and evaluation, human protections, and reporting.

● Specialize in designing outreach and data collection strategies for hard-to-reach population such as undocumented communities, sex workers, houseless communities, people with dependence on illegal substances, as well as LGBTQIA++ communities.

● Development of rigorous as well as socially conscious sampling strategies such as venue-based sampling, in-person interviews, focus groups, relationship building with trusted members, and community based participatory action research.

● Compilation, and analysis of social surveys and interviews for English, low-literacy, and non-English speakers.

● Recruitment, training, direction, and supervision of survey / interview / data entry support teams.

● Design, implementation and analysis associated with archival research and systemic reviews using collection protocols, qualitative coding, and Boolean terms.

Documentary, Archival, and Spatial Analysis:

● Assisted on the production of three documentaries, receiving on the ground training in film, sound, and photography.

● Collection, quality assurance, data management, analysis, mapping, and cartographic design of spatial data using GPS units (recreational, mapping, and survey grade) and software (ArcGIS, Open GeoDa, and Google Earth).

● Spatial analysis for multiple environmental and sociological proximity studies and microbiological source tracking.

● Working towards graphic design and interactive mapping to development of accessible educational materials and infographics, especially in concert with digitizing archival materials with modern data.

Software Proficiency:

Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite and basic to intermediate proficiency in HTML, WordPress, Tableau, Photoshop, InDesign, Qualtrics, ArcGIS, and Stata.

Field Training:

● Development and implementation of environmental monitoring and surveillance strategies for public health, land-use interpretation, resource management, public policy, habitat conservation, human activity, and hydrologic conditions in urban, rural and industrial areas.

● US EPA certification in field and laboratory auditing, quality documentation tracking, inventory and reporting, as well as data validation, verification and usability.

● Sanitary survey and microbiological source tracking field investigation and sample collection

Laboratory Training:

● Proper handling of hazardous chemical and biological wastes (e.g. identification, labeling, safety, disposal, sterilization etc.). Use and care of gaschromatographs, atomic absorption spectrometers, and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometers for multiple chemical analytes.

● Intermediate environmental microbiology laboratory training such as culturing and aseptic technique, enumeration and identification of indicator and pathogenic species.

● Antimicrobial susceptibility testing and analysis such as Kirby-Bauer, Modified Hodge Test and basic molecular sequencing with PCR and biochemical fingerprinting with Phene Plating.

Language:

Elementary proficiency of French and Kiswahili. Spanish limited working proficiency (but advancing through continued study)

Safety in Numbers Campaign (May 2016 – April 2022)

Worked towards safe and affordable contraception, abortion, and housing access and houselessness prevention within the US South, specifically with the safe housing for refugees, victims of domestic abuse, and human trafficking. Mutual aid networks of houseless, trans, and HIV-positive sex workers for healthcare and substance dependency recovery.

HEDS UP (May 2020 – 2021)

Provides logistical support, campaign work, phone banking, and medical aid for community actions focused on evictions during the COVID-19 pandemic in Durham, NC. Work focuses on community-led trainings and accessible legal education.

North Carolina Environmental Justice Network and Rural Empowerment Association for Community Help (Aug 2016 – 2020)

As a member of NCEJN and REACH, provided scientific consultation and support for ongoing environmental justice and monitoring work. Grant writing.

UNC Water and Health Conference (2014 - 2017)

Acted as graduate student organizer and representative for conference. Helped create curated space for international policymakers, practitioners and researchers convene and review global water, sanitation, and hygiene policy, interrogate the science, improve programming, build capacity, and develop new approaches to expanding WaSH access and services.

Undergraduate Mentorship (August 2014 – 2020)

Mentored and supported the educational attainment, personal growth, and professional pursuits of over 50 undergraduates throughout my time at UNC. This is one of the most important parts of my graduate career.

Annual North Carolina Environmental Justice Summit (2018 and 2019)

Helped organize the 2018 and 2019 conferences of activists, researchers, governmental officials, and community members.

Center for Civil Rights, University of North Carolina (April – September 2017)

Organized graduate student protests and provided public testimony in support of CCR when conservative members of the UNC’s Board of Governors threatened their ability to litigate as a legal clinic in May 2017. CCR trained students at UNC Law School via representation of minority and low-income clients and fought several cases against local and state authorities over issues such as housing discrimination, environmental justice, and segregation. CCR was closed in September.

Clean Air Coalition of Western New York (10/2009 – 08/2013)

Grant writer, community organizer, and consulting scientist for Tonawanda Coke, Bus Lot, Emergency Planning, Right to Know, and Fair Elections campaigns. Gathered air and water samples. Performed research regarding possible sources of exposure, toxins and environmental regulations, and environmental enforcement policies.

Consulting Soil Scientist and Educator (May 2011 – Aug 2013)

Provided consultation and educational services to Grassroots Gardens of Greater Buffalo, Wilson Street Urban Farm, and the Massachusetts Avenue Project regarding sustainable practices by which urban farms and gardens can strategically address and mitigate soil contamination issues.

Buffalo United Front (05/2010 – 07/2012)

Secured sponsorships and insurance, managed volunteers, and prepared and performed youth educational workshops. Co-organizer of the 2010, 2011, and 2012 Family Fishing Day, the only urban, family-oriented fishing event in New York State. The event was held to encourage urban youth to embrace activities like fishing as alternatives to street violence and was attended by an estimated 2,000 people each year.

Global Service Corps, Sustainable Agriculture, and Food Security Program.

Meru and Arusha Region, Tanzania. (5/2008 – 9/2008)

Taught organic farming methods to urban and rural communities affected by HIV/AIDS in order to reduce pesticide use and exposure and to address issues of food security. Utilized community-based participatory development strategies to create educational and training programs for sustainable agricultural practices for the Chaga and Masaai communities.

Environmental injustice in North Carolina’s hog industry: Lessons learned from community-driven participatory research and the “people’s professor”

This piece represents a collaboration between an academic partner and our community partners and shows dedication to the praxis of community-driven participatory design and research.

Rectifying Environmental Justice in the Black Belt: Documenting Ownership in the Wake of Industry

Small grants project awarded through University of North Carolina Center for the American South. The project began its nascent stages and the COVID pandemic and a series of medical issues occurred. This piece was shared to show not only dedication to equitable futures, but also the ability to fit a significant amount of information into a very tight page requirement.

Methods for the Surveillance of Antimicrobial Resistant Bacteria in Environmental Water and Wastewater.

Master thesis and example of data presentation and literature review.

Reference to UNICEF’s menstrual hygiene management policies

A successful campaign for UNICEF to use “people who menstruate” to be inclusive of trans and gender non-conforming communities.

A People’s Guide to Eating Fish Caught in Western New York

A USEPA funded, accessible public education campaign with several, multi-lingual spin-off projects.

Enhanced Fish Consumption Advisory Quality Assurance Project Plan

A project plan underpinning the advisory provided above. I prepared this for the USEPA GLRI and it was used by several projects as background and for funding, including the ATSDR biomonitoring project.