CV PDF 2022

EDUCATION
Northeastern University
Ph.D., Sociology, 2018
Dissertation Title: Unseen Science: The Social Re-Discovery of Per- and Polyfluorinated Compounds
Washington State University
M.A., Sociology, 2008. Thesis: Patterns of Hazardous Waste in the United States: Analyzing Rural Environmental Justice with Spatial Data 
Connecticut College
B.A., Sociology, with Distinction, 2005
Certificate in Conservation Biology and Environmental Studies
ACADEMIC POSITIONS
Assistant Professor, Department of Sociology, University of Toronto Mississauga. 2022 – present.
Assistant Professor of Environmental Studies, Department of History, Philosophy + Social Science, Rhode Island School of Design. Providence, RI.  2019 – 2022.
Research Fellow, Silent Spring Institute and Social Science Environmental Health Research Institute. Boston, MA. 2018 – 2019.
NONACADEMIC PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
2009 – 2013. Center on Race, Poverty & the Environment, Development Director. Oakland, CA.
PEER-REVIEW PUBLICATIONS
Book:                                                                                                                          In preparation. Toxic Discretion (Expected manuscript completion date August 2023).
Jennie Ohayon, Alissa Cordner, Phil Brown, Andrea Amico, and Lauren Richter. 2023, Persistent Chemicals, Persistent Activism: Scientific Opportunity and Social Movement Organizing on Contamination by Per-and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances. Social Movement Studies. Accepted. 
Simona A Bǎlan, David Q Andrews, Arlene Blum, Miriam L Diamond, Seth Rojello Fernández, Elizabeth Harriman, Andrew B Lindstrom, Anna Reade, Lauren Richter, Rebecca Sutton, Zhanyun Wang, Carol F Kwiatkowski. 2023. Optimizing Chemicals Management in the United States and Canada through the Essential-Use Approach. Environmental Science & Technology. 57: 1568-1575.
Raoul S. Liévanos, Elisabeth Wilder, Lauren Richter, Jennifer Carrera, and Michael Mascarenhas. 2021. Challenging the White Spaces of Environmental Sociology. Environmental Sociology 7(2): 103-109.
Lauren Richter, Alissa Cordner, and Phil Brown. 2021. Producing Ignorance Through Regulatory Structure: The Case of Per-and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS). Sociological Perspectives 64(4). Published online 10/30/20.
Eric Nost, Sara Wylie, Chris Sellers, Becky Mansfield, Kelsey Breseman, Gretchen Gehrke, Lourdes Vera, Lauren Richter, and EDGI. 2020. Environmental Data for the Green New Deal. Science for the People (23) 2.
Alissa Cordner, Lauren Richter, and Phil Brown. 2019. Environmental Chemicals and Public Sociology: Engaged Scholarship on Highly Fluorinated CompoundsEnvironmental Sociology 5(4): 339-351.
Lauren Richter. 2019. Challenging Dominant Breast Cancer Research Agendas: Perspectives on the Outcomes of the Interagency Breast Cancer and Environment Research Coordinating Committee. Environmental Health 18(41).
Elicia Cousins, Lauren Richter, Alissa Cordner, Phil Brown, and Sokona Diallo. 2019. Risky Business? Manufacturer and Retailer Action to Remove Per- and Polyfluorinated Chemicals From Consumer Products. New Solutions 2(29): 242-265.
Alissa Cordner, Vanessa De La Rosa, Laurel Schaider, Ruthann Rudel, Lauren Richter, and Phil Brown. 2019. PFAS Drinking Water Guideline Levels: The Role of Scientific Uncertainty, Risk Assessment Decisions, and Social Factors. Journal of Exposure Science & Environmental Epidemiology 29:157-171. (Winner Best 2020 JESEE Article Award).
Lauren Richter, Alissa Cordner, and Phil Brown. 2018. Non-Stick Science: Sixty Years of Research and (In)Action on Fluorinated CompoundsSocial Studies of Science 48(5): 691-714.
Lauren Richter. 2018. Constructing Insignificance? Applying Critical Race Theory to Institutional Failure in Environmental Justice Communities. Environmental Sociology 4(1): 107-121. (Winner 2018 Association of Environmental Studies and Sciences Best Student Article Award).
Leif Fredrickson, Chris Sellers, Lindsey Dillion, Jennifer Ohayon, Nick Shapiro, Marianne Sullivan, Stephen Bocking, Phil Brown, Vanessa De La Rosa, Jill Harrison, Sara Johns, Katherine Kulik, Rebecca Lave, Michelle Murphy, Liza Piper, Lauren Richter, and Sara Wylie. 2018. Paving the Way for Trump: Past Presidential Assaults on Environmental Protection. American Journal of Public Health 108(S2): S95-S103.
Cordner, Alissa, Lauren Richter, Phil Brown. 2016. Can Chemical-class Approaches Replace Chemical-by-Chemical Strategies? Lessons from Recent FDA Regulatory Action on Perfluorinated Compounds. Environmental Science & Technology 50(23): 12584-12591.
Rosa, Eugene A. and Lauren Richter. 2008. Durkheim on the Environment: Ex Libris or Ex Cathedra: Introduction to Inaugural Lecture to a Course in Social Science, by Emile Durkheim 1887-1888. Organization & Environment 21(2): 182-188.
Edited Journal Issue:                                                                                        Lauren Richter, Raoul S. Lievanos, Elisabeth Wilder, Jennifer Carrera, and Michael Mascarenhas, eds. 2021. “Race and Environment.” Special issue, Environmental Sociology 7(2).
Under Review:
Lauren Richter. “Whiteness as Property, Corporate as White? Critical Race Theory and Environmental Sociology.” Book Chapter in The Racial Structure of Sociological Thought, edited by Jennifer Mueller and Victor Ray.

Articles in Preparation:

Lauren Richter and Grace Poudrier. “The Trouble with “Emerging Contaminants”: PFAS Ubiquity as Corporate Accomplishment.” (To be submitted to Catalyst).
Lauren Richter, Alissa Cordner, and Phil Brown. Strategic Science Production and the Obviation of Regulation of Highly Fluorinated Chemicals.
Lauren Richter. Corporate Viability and Preemptive Problem Resolution: PFAS as a Non-Problem.
NON-REFEREED ARTICLES
Lauren Richter, Alissa Cordner, and Phil Brown. 2020. What Lessons Should We Learn From the PFAS Crisis? The Equation. Union of Concerned Scientists.
Phil Brown, Alissa Cordner, Lauren Richter, David Andrews, and Olga Naidenko. 2020. Mapping the PFAS Contamination Crisis. Environmental Working Group, News and Analysis.
Elisabeth Wilder, Lauren Richter, Michael Mascarenhas, Raoul S. Lievanos, and Jennifer Carrera. 2019. Confronting White Space and White Ignorance: A Summary of the Committee on Racial Equity’s Mission and Work (2016-2019). American Sociological Association, Section on Environment and Technology, Fall Newsletter.
Christopher Sellers, Lindsey Dillon, Jennifer Liss Ohayon, Nick Shapiro, Marianne Sullivan, Chris Amoss, Stephen Bocking, Phil Brown, Vanessa De La Rosa, Jill Harrison, Sara Johns, Katherine Kulik, Rebecca Lave, Michelle Murphy, Liza Piper, Lauren Richter, Sara Wylie. 2017. The EPA Under Siege. Environmental Data & Governance Initiative.
Mascarenhas, Michael, Lauren Richter, Elisabeth Wilder, Jennifer Carrera. 2017. Diversity in Sociology and Environmental Sociology: What We Know About Our Discipline. American Sociological Association, Section on Environment and Technology. Spring Newsletter.
Mascarenhas, Michael, Elisabeth Wilder, Lauren Richter, Jennifer Carrera. 2017. Environmental Sociology Section Survey Analysis. Committee on Racial Equity, American Sociological Association.
Richter, Lauren. 2015. Why Community-Based Research Matters to Science and People. The Equation. Union of Concerned Scientists.
Rosa, Eugene A. and Lauren Richter. 2007. Review of Organizational Encounters with Risk (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press) Edited by Bridget Hutter and Michael Power. American Journal of Sociology. 113(3): 886-888.
GRANTS
Social Equity and Inclusion Research Grant, Rhode Island School of Design, 2021.
New Faculty Research Grant, Rhode Island School of Design, 2020.
Professional Development Grant, Rhode Island School of Design, 2020.
Professional Development Grant, Robert and Patricia Switzer Foundation, 2019.
Leadership Grant, Robert and Patricia Switzer Foundation, 2018.
National Science Foundation Conference Award for “Bridging the Gap: Race and Environment Conference,” American Sociological Association Pre-Conference, 2018.
National Science Foundation Doctoral Dissertation Improvement Award, 2017.
Summer Research Grant, Department of Sociology & Anthropology, Northeastern University, 2014, 2015, and 2017.
New World Foundation Grant, “Crowdsourcing Disaster Response in Colorado” with Sara Wylie and Public Lab, 2014.
AWARDS AND FELLOWSHIPS
Kendall Fellowship, Union of Concerned Scientists, 2019 (declined).
Robert & Patricia Switzer Environmental Fellow, 2017 – 2018.
Department of Sociology & Anthropology “Outstanding Public and Applied Research Award,” Northeastern University, 2015.
Travel Award, First Annual Citizen Science Association Conference, 2015.
Young Nonprofit Professional Network Career Development Committee “Volunteer of the Year,” Bay Area Chapter, 2010
Thomas S. Foley Institute Graduate Fellowship, Foley Institute, WSU, 2008.
Boeing Graduate Fellowship in Environmental Studies, College of Liberal Arts, WSU, 2008.
Fred R. Yoder Memorial Graduate Fellowship, Department of Sociology, WSU, 2007.
American Sociological Association Student Honors Program, 2005.
TEACHING EXPERIENCE
Rhode Island School of Design, Providence, RI
Graduate Research Prospectus, Spring 2021, 2022
Environmental Justice, Fall 2019, 2020, 2021
Social Movements and Backlash, Fall 2019, 2020
Environmental Sociology, Spring 2020, 2021, 2022
University of San Francisco, Instructor, San Francisco, CA
Environmental Justice, Fall 2009, Fall 2011 (co-taught with Alégria De La Cruz).
OTHER TEACHING EXPERIENCE
Learning to Listen: Facilitating Conversations on Racism. Workshop Organizer and Facilitator. College of the Atlantic, Bar Harbor, ME. 2018.
StirFry Seminars & Consulting, Certificate in Mindful Facilitation, Berkeley, CA. 2016 – 2018.