Agents of Change launches the Fellows in Residence program

Meet the senior fellows that will hone their communication and public engagement skills.

The Agents of Change program, a partnership between EHN and Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, is excited to announce the Agents of Change Fellows in Residence Program.


During this past year we have been reflecting on our accomplishments with the five Agents of Change cohorts. After five years of training the next generation of impactful environmental health researchers, we decided it was time to deepen our work and reinvest in our existing community. The unprecedented changes in the fields of public health, environmental protection and climate science we’ve seen this year – which directly impacts the careers and livelihoods of many Agents of Change fellows – has underscored the importance of providing our community with the knowledge, skills, networks, and social capital necessary to navigate this complex landscape.

As a result, we are launching the Fellows in Residence program.

Our reimagined fellowship is an effort to deepen our impact on decision-making and provide additional support to six senior Agents of Change fellows in their path towards creating more impactful research.

A reimagined future

This new initiative will build and strengthen alliances and collaborations with other programs, institutions and media organizations, provide support and network to help fellows navigate opportunities where they and their research can lead conversations in their respective fields, amplify our fellows’ expertise and help them develop community and policy products that will be incorporated into decision-making.

The Fellows in Residence program gathers Senior Agents of Change fellows who will participate in key networking opportunities through webinars, personalized mentorship opportunities, and more.

They will also have the opportunity to work on an individualized communication campaign to broaden the impact of their research. In this new era, fellows in residence will pick and choose different deliverables such as op-eds, fact sheets, policy briefs, science snippet videos, or more, that align with their current work and interests.

Our fellows in residence

Meet our fellows in residence in the slideshow below. Click on right or left side of each photo to move forward or backwards.

Ufuoma Ovienmhada (2024 fellow; Cohort 5)

Dr. Ufuoma Ovienmhada is a Baker Endowed Postdoctoral Research Associate in Climate Change and Human Resiliency at the University of Arizona. Ufuoma is an engineer by education, and environmental justice geographer by training, generating data-driven actionable insights about the environmental burdens experienced by marginalized identities in the United States. Her current work focuses on communities impacted by incarceration and the climate crisis.

About Agents of Change 

Founded in 2020 by Dr. Ami Zota of Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, Agents of Change has become one of the premiere national fellowships focused on increasing science communication and public engagement among early career scientists from backgrounds that haven’t been prioritized in science and academia.

Our fellows have published 62 essays, which are freely available in English and Spanish, and have reached 1.7 million readers (around 200,000 readers in Spanish). Our podcast — where we dive into the career paths and big ideas from fellows and other leaders in the field — has reached more than 80,000 listeners annually on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and SoundCloud.

Keep in touch

Want to keep on top of the program and the fellows' work? Subscribe to our newsletter and follow us on BlueSky, Instagram and LinkedIn. Learn more about current and senior fellows at agentsofchangeinej.org.

A closeup of a group of white Shasta daisies

A ‘visible signal’ of climate extremes: Why unexpected wildflower blooms have sparked concern

Experts warn that the slightest increase in temperatures can trigger early blooming in hundreds of wildflower species.
Two people in a rainforest looking up at a tree

The year in rainforests 2025: Deforestation fell; the risks did not

The story of the world’s tropical forests in 2025 was not one of dramatic reversal, but one shaped by accumulated pressure.

white and brown metal utility tower viewed from below

Gov. Tina Kotek orders removal of barriers to Oregon renewable energy projects

After investigative reporting highlighted how clogged transmission lines were stalling wind and solar projects, Gov. Tina Kotek issued executive orders to fast-track renewable energy development and push state agencies to expand grid capacity.

A view of a London residential street on a sunny day

UK records hottest and sunniest year ever in 2025, says weather service

Officials say persistent high-pressure systems and warming seas reflect the growing influence of human-driven climate change on the UK’s weather.

A smoky landscape with the sun in the background

Wildfire smoke is a national crisis, and it's worse than you think

Greenhouse gas and particulate emissions from fires around the world may be 70 percent higher than once believed.
Yellow and white wind turbine towers waiting to be installed
Credit: Engineered Solutions/Unsplash

Trump leaves wind industry reeling — at a perilous moment for his party

Republican worries about energy affordability didn’t deter the administration from halting five major projects that had already begun construction.
US President Donald Trump with American & Ukrainian flags behind
Credit: Copyright: palinchak/ BigStock Photo ID: 205623106

Opinion: Trump’s shuttering of the National Center for Atmospheric Research is Stalinist: Michael Mann and Bob Ward

This is the latest in the relentless purge of climate researchers who refuse to be co-opted by the fossil fuel industry.

From our Newsroom
Multiple Houston-area oil and gas facilities that have violated pollution laws are seeking permit renewals

Multiple Houston-area oil and gas facilities that have violated pollution laws are seeking permit renewals

One facility has emitted cancer-causing chemicals into waterways at levels up to 520% higher than legal limits.

Regulators are underestimating health impacts from air pollution: Study

Regulators are underestimating health impacts from air pollution: Study

"The reality is, we are not exposed to one chemical at a time.”

Pennsylvania governor Josh Shapiro speaks with the state flag and American flag behind him.

Two years into his term, has Gov. Shapiro kept his promises to regulate Pennsylvania’s fracking industry?

A new report assesses the administration’s progress and makes new recommendations

silhouette of people holding hands by a lake at sunset

An open letter from EPA staff to the American public

“We cannot stand by and allow this to happen. We need to hold this administration accountable.”

wildfire retardants being sprayed by plane

New evidence links heavy metal pollution with wildfire retardants

“The chemical black box” that blankets wildfire-impacted areas is increasingly under scrutiny.

Stay informed: sign up for The Daily Climate newsletter
Top news on climate impacts, solutions, politics, drivers. Delivered to your inbox week days.