Jalonne L. White-Newsome
Associate Professor
University of Michigan School of Environment and Sustainability
Dr. Jalonne L. White-Newsome is an Associate Professor in the Environmental Justice Specialization. Building on her multi-faceted, multi-sectoral and diverse areas of passion, practice, service and scholarship, Dr. White-Newsome’s areas of research include: environmental and climate justice policy and practice; finding solutions to address the social, economic and public health impacts of climate change – specifically, extreme heat, extreme flooding, and specific health impacts on the elderly and children; examining how to integrate justice, equity and corporate social responsibility; and advancing justice-centered leadership across the environmental sector.
Dr. White-Newsome started her career in chemical engineering, first tackling environmental challenges and injustice in private industry, and then through a range of perspectives, including her work in the grassroots environmental justice movement, environmental philanthropy, state government and academia. Most notably, from 2022 to 2025, Dr. White-Newsome was appointed to serve as the first Federal Chief Environmental Justice Officer, leading the White House's Office of Environmental Justice that was charged with advancing the Biden-Harris Administration's Environmental Justice initiatives. Upon her departure from the White House, she re-launched her consulting firm, Empowering a Green Environment and Economy, LLC, which aims to transform communities through people-centered solutions, integrating environmental justice, equity, efficiency and sustainability into their operations, practice and policies. Dr. White-Newsome is a sought-after public speaker and facilitator, delivering 100s of speeches across the country, with the goal of inspiring, influencing and instigating change. She is nationally recognized for her leadership advancing environmental protection, justice and public health over three decades, dedicated to improving the well-being of low-income and communities of color.
Dr. White-Newsome earned a Ph.D. in environmental health sciences from the University of Michigan School of Public Health, a master’s degree in environmental engineering from Southern Methodist University, a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from Northwestern University, and a certificate in Diversity and Inclusion from Cornell University. Her passion for teaching began at Kettering University in Flint, Michigan as a lecturer in partnership with the Industrial Engineering department. Thereafter, she joined The George Washington University as a professorial lecturer in the Milken Institute School of Public Health for over a decade, teaching Environmental and Occupational Health.
Dr. White-Newsome has provided her leadership and experience to numerous professional and service organizations, including but not limited to: National Academy of Sciences, Board on Environmental Change and Society, National Institutes of Health National Advisory Environmental Health Sciences Council (Appointed Member) Sustain Health Solutions (Board Member), Dare to Dream Pontiac (Board Member), American Geophysical Union (Board of Directors), Harvey Mudd College Engineer Leadership Program Advisory Board, Minerva Education and Development Foundation (Trustee), Health Environmental Funders Network, US Climate Action Network Board, American Society of Landscape Architects, and Environmental Protection Agency’s Clean Air Act Advisory Committee. She also served as a co-author for the Human Health Chapter for the United States Global Climate Research Program 4th National Climate Assessment.