Professional Summary
My climate justice research aims to bring visibility to, and work against the inequitable impacts of climate change, socially and geographically. Specifically, my research is driven by the questions, “What psychosocial and structural factors facilitate or impede processes of transformative social change?” and “How can research contribute to enabling transformative social change?” My work draws upon theories within and beyond social psychology (e.g., social movement theories; socio-ecological systems frameworks), employs community-engaged, participatory, and action research methods, and aims to center the voices and experiences of those most affected by climate disruption and environmental injustice. Broadly speaking, my research program aims to advance climate justice and societal change across three primary domains: (1) Community-Led Climate Justice Action; (2) University-Community-Policy Partnerships for Sustainable Futures; and (3) Psychologies for Climate Justice. To date, I have published 30 peer-reviewed journal articles and 5 book chapters, presented at numerous national and international conferences, and I am currently co-editing a book on psychology and climate justice to be published in 2025.
Education
Ph.D.: Colorado State University Fort Collins, CO, 2017 (Applied Social Psychology)
M.S.: Colorado State University Fort Collins, CO, 2013 (Applied Social Psychology)
B.A.: Columbia College Chicago, IL, 2007 (Arts Management)
Positions and Work Experience
2017 -2018 . Postdoctoral Research Fellow., Conducted research and evaluation of NSF-funded science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education and outreach initiatives, with a focus on climate science and sustainability., STEM Center, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO
2018 -2023 Assistant Professor, Psychology, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH
Research Support
Grant: #R40749 Investigators:Trott, Carlie 07-01-2019 -12-31-2020 UC's AHSS Faculty Research Summer Stipend Program Collaborating with Communities for Resilient Ecosystems using Arts-based STEM Education and Participatory Mapping in Jacmel, Haiti Role:PI $9,996.38 Active Level:Internal UC
Grant: #M16536 Investigators:Trott, Carlie 08-01-2019 -07-31-2020 UC's Launch Awards Spring Semester Research Launch Awards Role:PI $2,500.00 Active Level:Internal UC
Grant: #Local- and State-Level Policy Work Award Investigators:Trott, Carlie 01-01-2022 -12-31-2022 Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues Multi-Phase Approach to Equity-Driven Climate Policy Planning in Cincinnati: Centering Neighborhood-level Perspectives (backdoor) Role:PI 2000.00 Hold Level:Non Profit
Grant: #DGE-2224857 Investigators:Bates, Littisha; Crowley, Brooke; Jacquart, Melissa; Morehouse, Nathan; Potochnik, Angela; Trott, Carlie 10-01-2022 -09-30-2025 National Science Foundation NSF IGE Engaging Science: Transforming Graduate Education through Public Engagement with Science Role:Collaborator 499999.00 Awarded Level:Federal
Grant: #BCS-2324505 Investigators:Trott, Carlie; Webb, Amanda; Zhong, Kuanshi 09-15-2023 -08-31-2026 National Science Foundation Supporting equitable building decarbonization through a community-engaged retrofit planning process and energy modeling platform Role:Collaborator 745553.00 Awarded Level:Federal
Publications
Peer Reviewed Publications
Trott, C. D., Weinberg, A. E., & Sample McMeeking, L. B. (2018). Prefiguring sustainability through participatory action research experiences for undergraduates: Reflections and recommendations for student development. Sustainability, 10, 1-21. doi:10.3390/su10093332 More Information
Weinberg, A. E., Trott, C. D., & Sample McMeeking, L. B. (2018). Who produces knowledge? Transforming undergraduate students’ views of science through participatory action research. Science Education, 102, 1155-1175. doi:10.1002/sce.21453 More Information
Trott, C. D., Even, T. L., & Frame, S. (2020). Merging the arts and sciences for collaborative sustainability action: A methodological framework. Sustainability Science, 15(4), 1067-1085. doi:10.1007/s11625-020-00798-7 More Information
Trott, C. D. (2016). Constructing alternatives: Envisioning a critical psychology of prefigurative politics. Journal of Social and Political Psychology, 4(1), 266-285. doi:10.5964/jspp.v4i1.520 More Information
Trott, C. D. (2020). Children’s constructive climate change engagement: Empowering awareness, agency, and action. Environmental Education Research, 26(4), 532-554. doi:10.1080/13504622.2019.1675594 More Information
Weinberg, A. E., Trott, C. D., Wakefield, W.*, Merritt, E. G., Archambault, L. M. (2020). Looking inward, outward, and forward: Exploring the process of transformative learning in teacher education for a sustainable future. Sustainability Science, 15, 1767-1787. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11625-020-00831-9 More Information
Trott, C. D., Sample McMeeking, L. B., Bowker, C. L., & Boyd, K. J. (2020). Exploring the long-term academic and career impacts of undergraduate research in science: A case study. Journal of Geoscience Education, 68(1), 65-79. doi:10.1080/10899995.2019.1591146 More Information
Jacquez, F., Trott, C. D., Wren, A. R.*, Ashraf, L. J.*, & Williams, S. E. (2020). Dream It! Preliminary evidence for an educational tool to increase children’s optimistic thinking. Child and Youth Care Forum, 49(6), 877-892. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10566-020-09561-6 More Information
Trott, C. D. & Weinberg, A. E. (2020). Science education for sustainability: Strengthening children’s science engagement through climate change learning and action. Sustainability, 12(16), 6400. https://doi.org/10.3390/su12166400 More Information
Trott, C. D. (2019). Reshaping our world: Collaborating with children for community-based climate change action. Action Research, 17(1), 42-62. doi:10.1177/1476750319829209 More Information
Unanue, I., Patel, S. G., Tormala, T. T., Trott, C. D., Piazza Rodríguez, A., Méndez Serrano, K, & Brown, L. M. (2020). Seeing more clearly: Communities transforming towards justice in post-Hurricane Puerto Rico. Community Psychology in Global Perspective, 6(2). 22-47.
Trott, C. D., Sample McMeeking, L. B., & Weinberg, A. E. (2020). Participatory action research experiences for undergraduates: Forging critical connections through community engagement. Studies in Higher Education, 45(11), 2260-2273. https://doi.org/10.1080/03075079.2019.1602759 More Information
Trott, C. D., Rockett, M. L.*, Gray, E.*, Lam, S.*, Even, T. L., & Frame, S. M. (2020). “Another Haiti starting from the youth”: Integrating the arts and sciences for empowering youth climate justice action in Jacmel, Haiti. Community Psychology in Global Perspective, 6(2), 48-70.
Trott, C. D. (2021). What difference does it make? Exploring the transformative potential of everyday climate crisis activism by children and youth. Children’s Geographies, 19(3), 300-308. https://doi.org/10.1080/14733285.2020.1870663 More Information
Trott, C. D. (2021). Youth-led climate change action: Examining multi-level effects on children, families, and communities. Sustainability, 13(22), 12355. https://doi.org/10.3390/su132212355 More Information
Trott, C. D. (2022). Climate change education for transformation: Exploring the affective and attitudinal dimensions of children’s learning and action. Environmental Education Research, 28(7), 1023-1042. https://doi.org/10.1080/13504622.2021.2007223 More Information
*Wakefield, W., Weinberg, A. E., *Pretti, E. L., Merritt, E. G., Trott, C. D. (2022). “When I act consciously, I can see a brighter world around me”: Preservice teacher readiness to support transformative sustainability learning. Environmental Education Research, 28(11), 1672-1690. https://doi.org/10.1080/13504622.2022.2085246 More Information
*Lam, S. & Trott, C. D. (2022). Children’s climate change meaning-making through photovoice: Empowering children to learn, care, and act through participatory process. Educação, Sociedade & Culturas, 62, 1-25. https://doi.org/10.24840/esc.vi62.478 More Information
*Rabin, J., Vaughn, L.M., Trott, C. D., & Jacquez, F. (2024). Exploring parental perceptions of early childhood education among Spanish-speaking Latinx families. Early Childhood Education Journal, 29(1), 139-154. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10643-022-01414-2 More Information
Trott, C. D., *Lam, S., *Roncker, J., *Gray, E., *Courtney, R. H.., & Even, T. L. (2023). Justice in climate change education: A systematic review. Environmental Education Research, 29(11), 1535-1572. https://doi.org/10.1080/13504622.2023.2181265
More InformationTrott, C. D., *Gray, E., *Lam, S., *Courtney, R. H., *Roncker, J., & Even, T. L. (2023). People’s action for climate justice: A systematic review. Local Environment, 28(9), 1131-115. https://doi.org/10.1080/13549839.2023.2187363 More Information
Trott, C. D., Weinberg, A. E., Frame, S. M., Jean-Pierre, P., & Even, T. L. (2023). Civic science education for youth-driven water security: A behavioral development approach to strengthening climate resilience. International Journal of Behavioral Development, 48(2), 145-155. https://doi.org/10.1177/01650254231188661 More Information
*Lam, S. & Trott, C. D. (2024). Intergenerational solidarities for climate healing: The case for critical methodologies and decolonial research practices. Children's Geographies. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/14733285.2023.2301546 More Information
Trott, C. D. (2024). Envisioning action-oriented and justice-driven climate change education: Insights from youth climate justice activists. Children & Society, 38(5), 1802-1823. https://doi.org/10.1111/chso.12846 More Information
Trott, C. D. (2024). Rewriting the climate story with youth climate justice activists. Geographical Research. https://doi.org/10.1111/1745-5871.12662 More Information
Book Chapter
Chapman, D., Trott, C. D., Silka, L., Lickel, B., & Clayton, S. (2018). Psychological perspectives on community resilience and climate change: Insights, examples, and directions for future research. In S. Clayton & C. Manning (Eds.), Psychology and climate change: Human perceptions, impacts, and responses (pp. 267-288). Amsterdam: Elsevier. doi:10.1016/B978-0-12-813130-5.00011-4
Trott, C. D. (2021). Process (vs. event). In M. Baker , B. B. Blaagaard, H. Jones, & L. Pérez-González (Eds.), The Routledge encyclopedia of citizen media (pp. 331-336). London: Routledge.
Trott, C. D., *Reimer-Watts, K., & Riemer, M. (2022). In pursuit of a practical utopia: Transitioning towards climate justice. In C. Kagan, R. Lawthom, M. Richards, J. Alfaro, A. Zambrano, & J. Akhurst (Eds.), The Routledge international handbook of community psychology: Facing global crises with hope. Taylor & Francis. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780429325663-19
Trott, C. D. (2024). Photovoice for the climate justice classroom: Inviting students’ affective and sociopolitical engagement. In J. Atkinson & S. Jaquette Ray (Eds.), Existential toolkit for climate justice educators: How to teach in a burning world (pp. 89-98). University of California Press.
Keywords
climate change, climate justice, education, sustainability, social movements, participatory action research, community research, agency, activism, prefigurative politics, youth, transformative change, futures
Contact Information
https://www.cdtrott.com/
https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=CKdymf4AAAAJ&hl=en
https://www.collaborativesustainabilitylab.com/