Dr. Rania Masri is our new Co-Director of Organizing and Policy. Rania Masri been an activist and organizer since 1993, and a professor and researcher since 2005. She has taught interdisciplinary environmental sciences, environmental justice, and communications at the University of Balamand, American University of Beirut, and the Lebanese American University, respectively. Prior to her move to Lebanon in 2005, she was the Director of the Southern Peace Research and Education Center at the Institute for Southern Studies in North Carolina  (2002-2005).  Throughout, Rania has worked to bring a holistic lens to the environment, and a recognition that environmental management must encompass a human rights and social justice practice and is, in and of itself, a struggle for full citizenship. In essence, it is all a question of environmental justice. Her research and activism have centered on anti-sanctions (Iraq)/anti-war (Iraq, Afghanistan), anti-occupation & anti-apartheid (Palestine), environmental justice (water and food sovereignty; pollution; land rights), and civil and voting rights. She served as an expert in the Court of Conscience during which she presented testimony on the environmental impact of the 2006 Israeli War on Lebanon. (Incidentally, Rania completed her doctorate from NCSU in 2000, and learned about solidarity activism from her 19 years in NC.)

Richard grew up near Charlotte, NC before moving to the Triangle area for school. He graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 2017 with a degree in journalism. While there, he worked as a regional organizer for a group campaigning for safe labor contracts in universities’ supply chains. He also helped form a campaign to stop privatization at the university, and a grassroots community coalition that helped students voice their concerns to administrators. After graduation in 2017, Richard worked with a national movement-support organization, first as an intern and later as the National Director of Communications, a role he held for three years. He coordinated projects including videos, infographics, and research reports. Richard loves supporting and enabling the work of organizations to flourish and looks forward to doing more of this at NCEJN as the Operations Manager. In his spare time Richard enjoys cooking, cycling, and playing with his cat Natalie.

Dr. Dani Lin Hunter is a social scientist with strong foundations in environmental science and community engagement. Her work has focused on ensuring that science operates in service to people and not the other way around. Dani earned her PhD ecology with a human environment interactions emphasis from Colorado State University in 2022. Since then, she has worked at North Carolina State University managing the Crowd the Tap participatory science project that focuses on identifying and addressing lead contamination in household drinking water. She is excited to step into her role as a Research Manager at NCEJN where she can continue to learn about grassroots organizing and pursue a future where science serves communities and breaks down systemic oppression instead of creating it.