Interns Strengthen Research and Advocacy Skills Through Engagement with Gulf Coast Communities
Since its inception, the Deep South Center for Environmental Justice (DSCEJ) has hosted student interns as part of its commitment to building the next generation of environmental justice leaders. The 2026 Environmental and Climate Justice Corps interns are helping to strengthen the capacity of DSCEJ partner communities across the Gulf Coast region. In the context of increasingly severe weather events driven by climate change, there is a growing need to support the resilience and survival of environmental justice communities.
Many of these communities—shaped by systemic racism—are located in heavily polluted areas that are disproportionately vulnerable to climate impacts. These long-standing injustices are further compounded by poverty, limited access to essential services, and inequitable protection from pollution and regulatory agencies. Notably, DSCEJ’s partner communities are also places where many HBCU students live and study, creating a direct connection between academic learning and lived experience.
The HBCU internship program provides students with financial support while offering hands-on experiential learning through research, advocacy, and community engagement with Gulf Coast partner communities. Interns learn the history and priorities of community-based organizations (CBOs), support efforts to address pressing environmental concerns, and collaborate with community leaders to develop and implement research-to-action plans that advance environmental justice and community resilience.
Dorcas Gyan
Dorcas Gyan is an Urban Forestry PhD candidate at Southern University and A&M College and serves as a Research Intern supporting the Deep South Center for Environmental Justice’s Communiversity Model research initiatives. She contributes to data analysis, technical reporting, GIS mapping, and community engagement efforts that advance environmental justice research and community-informed decision-making. Working with the DSCEJ research team, Dorcas assists with updating environmental health reports, conducting interviews with community partners, analyzing air monitoring data, and developing geospatial maps that support advocacy, research, and community planning. Her work helps strengthen the integration of scientific research and community knowledge to address environmental health challenges.
Brynnan Smith
Brynnan Smith is a Communications and Public Relations major at Xavier University of Louisiana and serves as a Communications and Digital Engagement Intern with the Deep South Center for Environmental Justice. He supports DSCEJ’s communications and outreach efforts by helping to elevate environmental justice initiatives through digital media, storytelling, research, and audience engagement. Brynnan assists with social media management, content creation, digital asset organization, analytics, and fundraising communications. Working closely with the communications team, he develops compelling content, monitors emerging issues and trends in the environmental justice movement, and helps strengthen public awareness and engagement with DSCEJ’s mission and programs.
Christian Sutton
Christian Sutton is a Biology major at Jackson State University and serves as an Environmental Research and Science Intern with the Deep South Center for Environmental Justice. She supports DSCEJ’s community partner, Spectrum Community Development Corporation (Spectrum CDC), in advancing scientific research, environmental monitoring, and community resilience initiatives. Working alongside the Jackson State University Science Team, Christian assists with environmental water and soil sampling, laboratory analysis, geospatial data verification, contamination assessment, and the development of interactive environmental mapping tools. Through her work, she contributes to community-based environmental research that helps inform residents, strengthen resilience, and advance environmental justice.
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