IU graduate Cody Smith stands in front of the Paul H. O'Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs building in Bloomington. “I wanted to study environmental policy without having to choose between energy and water,” Smith said. “With O'Neill, I could create a specialized gathering that includes both.” Photo courtesy of Cody Smith
The world is rapidly racing for solutions to new environmental challenges. However, vulnerable communities are often left behind, facing the most negative impacts. Cody Smith, a recent graduate of top-ranked Indiana University Master of Public Affairs Program of the O'Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs in Bloomington, empowers the voices of the disenfranchised.
Updating a philosophy
Smith grew up on a sheep farm in Crawfordsville, Indiana, that had been in his family for generations. Behind her was a large pond that became the focus of his childhood. While there were happy memories filled with family events, he also remembers the lake smelling, discolored and overgrown with moss and algae. The main culprit: phosphorus.
Cody Smith kayaks on a lake on his family's farm. The lake situation helped spark his interest in studying environmental policy. Photo courtesy of Cody Smith“Livestock manure is high in phosphorus, and our livestock graze was at the entrance to our pond,” Smith said. “That informed my interest in how our decisions affect the environment.”
The choice to go to college was a difficult one. Smith, a first-generation college student, didn't want to leave his mother, who struggled with substance use disorder, but knew college would give him the opportunity to follow his passion and make a difference.
“I wanted to make a fresh start, figure out how to help people thrive by improving their environment,” Smith said.
After completing his bachelor's degree at Iowa State University, Smith worked at the Nebraska-based Center for Agricultural Affairs, whose mission focused on the Midwest. While there, he recognized the need to increase his fundamental knowledge. He said he was pleasantly surprised to discover a dedicated school of public policy and environmental affairs that includes a top MPA program in his state.
“I wanted to study environmental policy without having to choose between energy and water,” Smith said. “With O'Neill, I could create a specialized gathering that includes both.”
Solid foundation
O'Neill's presence brought him back to Indiana, but tragedy soon struck. Within his first six weeks at school, his mother died of a drug overdose.
“Dealing with her death was difficult,” Smith said. “Loving someone struggling with substance abuse has been part of my experience throughout my educational journey. My friends and community at O'Neill School were fantastic during that time.”
Despite personal hardships and with the support of his faculty and colleagues, Smith thrived in the MPA program. This included being part of the first cohort Environmental Justice Scholars with Lynton K. Caldwell Professor David Koniskywhere Smith worked with community leaders organizing people against environmental injustice.
“I enjoyed my time at the O'Neill School so much,” she said. “The people around me were incredible, especially the faculty with their knowledge, expertise and willingness to dive into the practical implications of all the discussions.
“The way I learned best was to go to these projects. It's easy to not believe something about wind or solar projects if you've never been to one. Being able to see them in person and have these experts available to them was invaluable.”
Practical experiences, such as the Environmental Justice Fellows, are essential for students pursuing careers in environmental policy because they provide practical skills, real-world challenges, and a variety of learning opportunities. Internships, field courses, research projects, and service learning programs allow students to apply their classroom knowledge to environmental issues and solutions.
Cody Smith presents a report on how to reduce emissions in Turkmenistan during his graduate studies at IU. Photo courtesy of Cody SmithSome of Smith's other experiences include:
“At an OEPSA dinner, our keynote speaker was Christina Motilall, from the Office of Environmental Justice at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency,” Smith said. “He's an O'Neill alum. We were excited about her return to campus and the dialogue. I still rely on those connections and I have them because of O'Neill.”
A greener tomorrow for everyone
After graduation, Smith became a senior policy advocate for the Iowa Environmental Council. It develops programs to ensure that members of vulnerable communities receive the benefits they are due.
His work empowers communities to solve their unique environmental challenges. He said the biggest challenges facing the Midwest are:
- Energy Transition: Historically marginalized communities are often overlooked as it relates to renewable energy benefits.
- Access of vulnerable communities to finance: Many of the communities most in need of federal grants lack the staff, tools and resources to obtain them.
- Building a resilient economy: When a major natural or environmental disaster occurs, economic activity stops. Therefore, building resilient infrastructure is vital.
Indiana University has mobilized its resources to address these challenges in the state and throughout the Midwest. The Environmental Resilience Institute offers the McKinney Midwest Climate Project that connects undergraduate and graduate students interested in climate, sustainability and community resilience with career experiences. The goal is to prepare leaders to work together with communities so they can be resilient in the face of environmental threats.
The O'Neill School has worked with her School of Public Health-Bloomington and College of Arts and Sciences through various academic programs to prepare the next generation of scientists, policy makers, communicators and leaders who face important and complex environmental and sustainability challenges.
“I'm so lucky to have this education,” Smith said. “Throughout my career, I aim to work with the communities most affected. We can include them in the decision-making process and think about how each choice will change their daily lives. To me, that's the core of environmental justice.”
