Lois Polashenski

Lois Ann Polashenski is an environmental science doctoral student at the University of Arizona. She was born and raised in a small coal mining town in northeastern Pennsylvania. Lois came from a low-income household but was fortunate to attend Cedar Crest College in Allentown, Pennsylvania and receive a Bachelor of Science degree in Environmental Conservation. From her experience living in a heavily polluted area, along with her upbringing connected with nature, she became interested in how environmental factors affect public health. Lois grapples with her intersectional identities of being white, an American citizen, disabled, and a lesbian. She acknowledges her disadvantages, while also recognizing her privileges in the space of academic research.  Using her lived experiences and intersectionality, while also acknowledging the experiences of others, she hopes to garner a better understanding of the struggles faced by underserved communities and provide better access and understanding of pollution.