The TRANSdisplinary Scientist
Emme Christie, BSc., MPhil., PhD
I am a queer, trans, Fulbright, and transdisciplinary environmental activist-scholar who works along the contours of queerness and environmental identity, governance, and history. As a critical environmental sociologist, my work addresses issues of inequity and power relations in environmental research, policy, data management, and decision-making.
​
My recently completed PhD research uses a postcolonial approach to discuss the rights and freedoms that are missing from governance frameworks (broadly understood), and thus what cultures exist through the direct or diffused support of legal frameworks that serve to delegitimize the existence of peoples whose peculiarities aren’t captured within such frameworks. Throughout my dissertation, I use identity as the primary frame to understand how politicization and weaponization of attributes toward the goal of achieving social order marginalize and disenfranchise those who are seen as ‘the other’ and is therefore understood as the central location of conflict involving visibly differentiated bodies. Through this work, I hope to make an impact as a justice, equity, diversity, access, and inclusion (JEDAI) scholar by centering the voices of historically marginalized groups in environmental decision-making.
​
I am also an environmental, climate change, and human rights activist with the Jamaica Climate Change Youth Council. I host two podcasts, Environmentally Speaking, which looks at various environmental issues in Jamaica, and Fish Tea that looks at various aspects of being LGBTQ+ in the Caribbean.
"The only way to win is to be great and unaffected."
- Glenroy Murray
Education
2020-2025
Doctor of Philosophy (Environmental Science), State University of New York, College of Environmental Science and Forestry
2012-2022
Master of Philosophy (Chemistry)
University of the West Indies, Mona
My PhD Dissertation uses a postcolonial approach to discuss the rights and freedoms that are missing from governance frameworks (broadly understood), and thus what cultures exist through the direct or diffused support of legal frameworks that serve to delegitimize the existence of peoples whose peculiarities aren’t captured within such frameworks. Throughout my dissertation, I use identity as the primary frame to understand how politicization and weaponization of attributes toward the goal of achieving social order marginalize and disenfranchise those who are seen as ‘the other’ and is therefore understood as the central location of conflict involving visibly differentiated bodies.
My master's thesis presented a multiple pathways analysis of water quality data. I analyzed sixteen (16) years of climate and water quality data (2001 - 2017) for the Hope River Basin in Jamaica and showed how the analytical protocol and thus, findings are constrained by the quality of available data. This work demonstrates the criticality of statistical treatment design to the interpretation of water quality data and thus how we communicate the same and develop policies for integrated water resources management.
2008-2011
Bachelor of Science (Pure Chemistry & Food Chemistry)
University of the West Indies, Mona
My BSc included a study of core principles of chemistry and food chemistry including, biochemistry, sanitation food processing, and food safety. The core focus of my bachelor's degree was analytical chemistry and chemometrics.
Current Projects
1. A Stadial Analysis of Maroon-State Relations in Jamaica: A 200-year media content analysis
This study looks at the representation of the relationship between the Jamaican government as well as the non-Maroon Jamaican public, and the Maroons from 1834 - 2022.
2. The Jamaican Environmental Identity: Opportunities for the inclusion of local ecological knowledge into Jamaica’s
environmental governance framework
We are using interviews and quantitative survey methods to assess the Jamaican environmental identity. The results of the research will be used to develop an environmental identity index, applicable to Jamaica that can potentially guide policy development and implementation approaches by establishing linkages between socioeconomic and other demographic characteristics with pro-environmental behaviors, attitudes, and values within the Jamaican population.
3. A Political Economic Analysis of Maroon Resistance in Jamaica
This study locates Maroon resistance in Jamaica within capitalist power relations. It focuses on treaty lands held in commune by the Jamaican Maroons in one of western Jamaica’s most prominent Maroon settlements, The Sovereign State of Accompong.
4. An Energy Centrality Theorem: The case for the reorganization of economic theory to address human ecological impact
By centering the reorganization of energy as a key outcome of economic activities, this research paper highlights the linkages between current globalized systems of fossil fuel energy production/use and climate change as manifested in ‘biospheric equilibrium distortions’. The study adds to critiques of the fossil fuel foundations of our economy by challenging notions of value expressed in economic theory as being inadequate due to their exclusion of waste as a critical component of industrial capitalist economic processes that should be addressed intra-economically.
Teaching Experience
State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry, USA
-
Spring 2025 - Culture, Identity, Environment (Instructor of Record)
-
Spring 2025 - Introduction to Climate Justice
-
Spring 2025 - Research Ethics, Digital Methods & Critical Reconciliation (Instructor of Record)
-
Spring 2025 - Undergraduate Research Experience
-
Spring 2025 - Research Mentoring (for graduate students)
-
Fall 2024 - Introduction to Environmental Studies
-
Spring 2024 - Diversity and Knowledge of the Environment
-
Spring 2024 - Introduction to Climate Justice
-
Spring 2024 - Undergraduate Research Experience
-
Spring 2024 - Research Mentoring (for graduate students)
-
Fall 2023 - FCH150 General Chemistry 1 Laboratory
-
Fall 2022 - FCH150 General Chemistry 1 Laboratory
​
University of the West Indies, Mona, Jamaica
-
Spring 2019 - CHEM1902 Introductory Chemistry B Laboratory; CHEM 0902 Preliminary Chemistry B (Instructor) Laboratory
-
Fall 2018 - CHEM 2402 Water Treatment Laboratory (Instructor)
-
Spring 2018 - CHEM1902 Introductory Chemistry B Laboratory
-
Fall 2017 - CHEM 2402 Water Treatment Laboratory(Instructor)
-
Spring 2017 - CHEM 3011 Analytical Chemistry II Laboratory
-
Fall 2016 - CHEM2011 Analytical Chemistry I Laboratory
-
Spring 2015 - CHEM 3011 Analytical Chemistry II Laboratory
-
Fall 2015 - CHEM2011 Analytical Chemistry I Laboratory
-
Summer 2014 - Preliminary Chemistry A Summer Course Instructor
-
Spring 2014 - CHEM 3511 Food Chemistry Laboratory
-
Fall 2014 - CHEM1902 Introductory Chemistry A Laboratory
-
Summer 2013 - Preliminary Chemistry B Summer Course Instructor
-
Spring 2013 - CHEM1902 Introductory Chemistry B Laboratory
-
Fall 2013 - CHEM 2511 Food Processing Laboratory
-
Spring 2012 - CHEM 3011 Analytical Chemistry II Laboratory
-
Fall 2012 - CHEM2511 Food Processing Laboratory
​
Charlemont High School, Jamaica
2011-2012, Chemistry Teacher
-
Teacher in charge of Chemistry
-
​Prepared Students (grades 11 - 13) for the CXC – CSEC and CAPE examinations
-
Hosted a week of celebrations of Chemistry where students were given the opportunity to compete for prizes in various Chemistry related competitions
-
Introduced the Environmental Club
-
Chemistry Passes, 93% for CAPE Unit I and 83% for CAPE Unit II
Conference/Workshop Presentations & Invited Talks
-
Christie E., Artificial intelligence and education: reconciling meanings, expectations and ethics, Presentation given at the CNY Conference on Environmental Science and Studies, SUNY-ESF, 2025
-
Christie E., Identity and the Environment: Queerness, Indigeneity & Environmental governance in Jamaica, Pack Fellowship Presentation, SUNY ESF, 2025
-
Christie E., Intersectionality, Marginality & Climate Change: Exploring the importance of identity to climate justice, Guest Lecture given in Introduction to Climate Justice, SUNY-ESF, Spring 2025
-
Christie E., Climate Change, Displacement & Migration, Guest Lecture given in Introduction to Climate Justice, SUNY-ESF, Spring 2025
-
Christie E., An Energy Centrality Theorem: The case for the reorganization of economic theory to address climate change human ecological impact, Webinar given for the United States Society for Ecological Economics, January 2025
-
Christie E., Climate Reparations or Climate Finance: Why Choose?, Workshop - Demanding Climate Reparations towards Climate Resilience in the Caribbean, AWID International Forum, Bangkok, 2024
-
Christie E., Understanding LGBTQ+ Experiences with Climate Change, Presented at Queer Caribbean Climate Justice: Connecting Queer Communities of French and English-Speaking Islands in the Face of the Climate Crisis, Observatoire Terre-Monde, Paris/Trinidad/Martinique/Guadeloupe, November 2024
-
Christie E., Diversifying Cisnormative Health Systems, Guest Lecture for Culture and Reproductive Health in Medicine, Syracuse University, New York, Fall 2024
-
Christie E., Bridging the Climate-Human Rights Gap: Aligning LGBTQ+ Rights with Climate Justice Advocacy in Jamaica, Presented at the 2024 Climate Justice Symposium: Exploring Feminist Interventions and Possibilities, Smith College, North Hampton, 2024
-
Mikulewicz M., Christie E., Crawford N.J., Searching for Queerness in Climate Change Studies, Presented at the 2024 Climate Justice Symposium: Exploring Feminist Interventions and Possibilities, Smith College, North Hampton, 2024
-
Christie E., Truth at the Margins: The importance of identity in climate justice, Presented to the 2024 Caribbean Climate Justice Leaders Academy, July 2024
-
Christie E., Mikulewicz M., LGBTQI Experiences with Climate Change, Presented at the GiveOUT Climate Convening, United Kingdom (Remote), April 2024
-
Christie E., Intersectionality, Marginality & Climate Change, Guest Lecture given in Introduction to Climate Justice, SUNY-ESF, Spring 2024
-
Christie E., Climate Change, Displacement & Migration, Guest Lecture given in Introduction to Climate Justice, SUNY-ESF, Spring 2024
-
Christie E., Wetland’s Protection: An inclusive/integrative risk-based systems approach to policy analysis, Presented at the One Water Symposium at the Annual Waterbird Society Conference, Fort Lauderdale, October 2023
-
Christie E., Mitigating the Impacts of Climate Change through the Albion Heights Green Community Project, United Nations International Organization on Migration, Migration, Environment and Climate Change (MECC) Webinar Series (Webinar 3), June 2023
-
Christie M., Queering the Transition: Identity & Justice as Pillars of Climate Justice, GirlsCare Jamaica Mentorship Programme, 2023
-
Christie M., An Energy Centrality Theorem: The case for the reorganization of economic theory to address human ecological impact, CNY Conference on Environmental Science & Studies, SUNY-ESF, New York, 2023
-
Christie M., The Value of Self-Identity and Non-Conformity, Keynote address at the Baobab Society Empowerment Brunch, SUNY-ESF, 2022
-
Christie, M., Justice, Equity, Diversity, Access, and Inclusion (JEDAI) in Environmental Science and Studies, Presentation at the Social Justice Informatics Workshop, Syracuse University, Syracuse, New York, 2022
-
Christie M., Caribbean Energy Transition Journalism Programme - Workshop: Caribbean Climate Change and Energy Transition: Human & Social Factors, Climate Tracker, August 2022
-
Christie, M., TRANSdisciplinary Perspectives on Climate Governance in the Caribbean, GirlsCareJa, June 2022
-
Christie, M, The Political economy of Jamaican Marronage: A Stadial Analysis, Presentation at the Association of Environmental Sciences and Studies Annual Conference, Baltimore, Maryland, 2022. https://pheedloop.com/EVEVOXDUGKEFK/site/sessions/?id=SESYHCZAWM9E5NHL4
-
Christie, M., The Political economy of Jamaican Marronage: A Stadial Analysis of five centuries of Maroon resistance, Presentation at the Interdisciplinary Ph.D. Workshop in Sustainable Development 2022, Columbia University, New York, 2022
-
Christie M., Trans Identities in Cisnormative Health Systems, Guest Lecture for Culture and Reproductive Health in Medicine, Syracuse University, New York, Spring 2021
-
Christie, M., Navigating Educational Spaces in Jamaica: the LGBTQ+ Experience, NEU LGBT+ Educators’ Conference, Plenary: Fighting against oppression, England, November 2021
-
Christie, M., Assessing Climate [Change] Impacts on Water Quality in an Agricultural Riparian System Using Water Quality Indices, Postgraduate Seminar presentation, Department of Chemistry, University of the West Indies, 2017
-
Christie, M., Rattray, V., Mandal, A., Communicating Water Quality: An historical assessment of the Hope River, Jamaica, Oral Presentation, Caribbean Water and Wastewater Association Conference, Montego Bay, Jamaica, 2018
-
Christie, M., Rattray, V., Mandal, A., Modeling water quality in a low order river system: A study of the Hope River, Jamaica, Poster Presentation, University of the West Indies, Mona, Faculty of Science and Technology Conference, St. Andrew, Jamaica, 2018
-
Christie, M., Rattray, V., Mandal, A., Assessing the Impact of Weather and Anthropogenic Factors on Water Quality in The Hope River, Jamaica, Oral Presentation, Geological Society of America Conference, Georgia, 2017, DOI: 10.1130/abs/2017AM-298902
-
Christie M., Rubus Pharmacochemistry: Ethnomedicine and Science, Postgraduate Seminar presentation and, Department of Chemistry, University of the West Indies, Jamaica, 2014
-
Christie M., Bowen-Forbes C., Phytochemistry and Biological Activity of the Ethyl Acetate Extract of Figs (Ficus carica), Undergraduate research project, Department of Chemistry, University of the West Indies, Jamaica 2011
Academic Publications
-
Mikulewicz M., Christie E., Crawford N.J., (In Review), Searching for queerness in climate change studies
-
Christie E., (In Preparation), Toward an environmental theory of resistance: A critical political economic analysis of maronnage in Jamaica
-
Christie E., Luzadis V., (In Preparation), An Energy Centrality Theorem: Making the case for the reorganization of economic theory to address human ecological impact
-
Christie, E. (2024), Legal Recognition, Protection, and Health: A Socio-legal Framework for Assessing Determinants of Health in the Jamaican Trans Community. Journal of Health Care for the Poor and Underserved 35(3), 816-836. https://muse.jhu.edu/article/934300.
-
Christie, M (2022). A Multiple Pathways Approach to Water Quality Analysis: A Study of The Hope River Watershed, Jamaica, MPhil Thesis, University of the West Indies (Mona), St. Andrew, Jamaica
-
Christie, M. (2022). Martín Arboleda. Planetary Mine: Territories of Extraction under Late Capitalism. Journal of Environmental Studies and Sciences, 1–3. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13412-022-00765-x
Grey Literature
-
Christie E., et al. (2024), Climate Smart Development for Internal Migration and Urbanization in Jamaica, UN-IOM, Jamaica.
-
Christie E. (2023), Greening LGBTQ Advocacy in Jamaica, Equality for All Foundation (JFLAG), Jamaica
-
Christie M., Developing LGBTQ+ Inclusive Approaches to Climate Justice: A Policy Brief, GirlsCare Jamaica, 2023
-
Christie M., Climate change and the Jamaican LGBTQ+ Population: A pilot study on perceptions, attitudes, behaviors, and impact, Equality for All Foundation (JFLAG), 2021, https://www.equalityjamaica.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/Climate-Change-and-the-LGBT-Population-compressed.pdf
-
Christie, M., Trans Health Needs Assessment, Transwave Jamaica Ltd., 2020
Research Experience
-
Evans D., Williams M., Christie M., Validation of the blank correction procedures for the Hach Phosphate (H-8048) and Sulfate (H-8051) methods, Internship Research Project, Environmental Solutions Limited, 2019
-
Webb A., Webster J., Christie M., The effect of ammonia on the dichromate oxidation of organics in testing for chemical oxygen demand using H-8000, Internship Research Project, Environmental Solutions Limited, 2019
-
Webster J., Martin S., Christie M., Standardization of the Biochemical Oxygen Demand Test: Investigating the Applicability for the use of GGA Calibration Curves and Reagent Water Blank Exclusion, Internship Research Project, Environmental Solutions Limited, 2018
-
Wilson C., Christie M., An investigation into the effect of chloride interference on the recovery of nitrogen using cadmium reduction method (H-8039), Internship Research Project, Environmental Solutions Limited, 2017
-
Green R., Christie M., Determination of Nitrogen Content in Wastewater and Seawater Samples via Persulfate Digestion, Internship Research Project, Environmental Solutions Limited, 2016
-
Brown S., Christie M., Quality Control in the Assay of Biochemical Oxygen Demand: Relationship with Chemical Oxygen Demand, Selection and use of Seed Stock, Internship Research Project, Environmental Solutions Limited, 2015
-
Dawkins M., Christie M., 5-Day Biochemical Oxygen Demand, Internship Research Project, Environmental Solutions Limited, 2014
-
Steen D., Christie M., The Effect of Weather Changes on Metal Ion Concentration in two Jamaica Rivers, Internship Research Project, Environmental Solutions Limited, 2012
-
Christie M., Quality Assurance in ESL-QEHL: The determination of the suitability of the use of In-House Reference Materials in Conjunction with Certified Reference Materials and the Identification of Metallic Interferents in Ensuring Data Quality, Internship Research Project, Environmental Solutions Limited, 2010
Contact
1 Forestry Drive, Office: Bray 12C
Syracuse, New York, 13210