Elisa Privitera recognized with Courageous Scientists Award for Environmental and Climate Justice

Elisa Privitera, a postdoctoral researcher with the Canada Excellence Research Chair Network for Equity in Sustainability Transitions (CERC NEST) at U of T Scarborough and course instructor at U of T's Women & Gender Studies Institute, has been recognized with an inaugural Courageous Scientists Award for Environmental and Climate Justice.

Founded by Austrian art historian and entrepreneur Norbert Mayr, the Courageous Scientists Award honours scholars who denounce environmental injustice and pursue their research and outreach despite facing personal and professional risks.

Privitera was recognized for her doctoral work conducted in the city of Gela, located in Italy's Sicily region, which has been grappling with the aftermath of a decommissioned petrochemical plant. There, she worked with residents to map the effects of pollution and develop recommendations to reverse unjust trajectories of development.

"Receiving this award is both an honour and a responsibility. It encourages me to continue advocating for climate and environmental justice," said Privitera, who co-led the Just Transitions in Action community-based research initiative at U of T Scarborough from 2023 to 2025.

"It represents not only personal recognition but also an affirmation of the importance of approaching science – and environmental research in particular – in a transdisciplinary, ethically committed, justice-oriented way."

Read about the 2025 Courageous Scientists Award winners

Read the Women & Gender Studies Institute interview