Author: Jeff Merrell

Retired lecturer and administrator at Northwestern University's Master's Program in Learning & Organizational Change.

Update: Evanston environmental justice

~ Jeff Merrell ~ 2 Comments

This is my updated effort to craft an overview of environmental justice - what it is, what it means in Evanston, and potential paths for the future. What do we mean by environmental justice? Environmental justice recognizes that our history of racial discrimination leads to current and on-going environmental, health and quality-of-life harms. We must … Continue reading Update: Evanston environmental justice

Three ways of framing the environmental justice problem, by the folks who know.

Evanston Dempster beach
~ Jeff Merrell ~ 2 Comments

I recently attended two half-day working sessions of the Evanston Environmental Justice (EJ) Coalition. The sessions were designed to inform a strategy for this new organization as it moves into 2026. I was geeked for a number of reasons. This was front-row observation of community coalition building with folks who (unlike me) have deep experience … Continue reading Three ways of framing the environmental justice problem, by the folks who know.

Monthly update (November) Building off of 2025: Ties to community and resistance.

~ Jeff Merrell

In January when I started this journey to connect more deeply with my local community, I could not have imagined we'd be where we are today. In my little space in the world, everyone feels the impact of ICE immigration kidnappings and the collateral damage it leaves. People you know disappearing, masked agents with weapons … Continue reading Monthly update (November) Building off of 2025: Ties to community and resistance.

What I learned about paying attention to details in community listening. From an AI product team.

Walkway over the sand on an Evanston beach on the shores of Lake Michigan.
~ Jeff Merrell ~ 1 Comment

My former teaching partner and friend Teresa Torres is off on a new venture - the Just Now Possible podcast, where Teresa takes a dive deep with folks who use AI as part of the digital products they design and build. A recent episode focused on ZenCity, which provides an AI-supported technology platform to help … Continue reading What I learned about paying attention to details in community listening. From an AI product team.

“If this were in place, what would it do for you?”

Fall colors at Evanston beach
~ Jeff Merrell ~ 2 Comments

Last night I attended the 4th (and final) workshop that is part of Evanston's Environmental Equity Investigation (EEI). (See past post about EEI: The limitation of relying on a single style of community meetings) I'm thinking about this event in terms of lessons to be learned for future community engagement activities. In all, the final workshop … Continue reading “If this were in place, what would it do for you?”