McKenna Dunbar - sustainability - University of Richmond

What initially sparked your interest in sustainability? 
My first interest in sustainability started when I was introduced to gardening and hiking around 4 or 5 years old. I was always upset when I saw trash and litter on hiking trails, so I began carrying a bag with me so I could pick up trash. My curiosity really peaked at 12 years old when I was part of a traveling robotics group. We wanted to do a meaningful project based on climate change, so we designed a resilient innovation called a “floating flood booth” that was inspired by the events of Hurricane Katrina. Our group wanted to create this as a way to encourage community resiliency in the face of hardship and natural disasters, with a focus on institutionally underserved communities like Black, brown, and low-income communities. That project was when I first started thinking about how the climate and my surroundings directly impact me, but more specifically how it can cause a large catastrophe. As a person of color, people like me are disproportionately burdened by those affects. 

Would you say this fueled the work you are currently involved in with the Sierra Club? 
I would say my introduction to clean energy started at a young age. I was in fifth grade when I chose to make my elementary school science project about solar ovens. This project, along with the floating flood booth project with my robotics group, inspired me to begin thinking about clean energy and climate change. I was also afforded an opportunity by my middle school to study sustainability in Costa Rica. We learned about the intricacies of how the weather impacts the climate, circular economy and recycling, and about flora and fauna. My interests in middle and high school shifted to tech-oriented systems, and I became more interested in cyber security, IT data analytics, and robotics. 

Through my work with the Sierra Club, I am technically working adjacent to the appliance industry in terms of electrification and shifting appliances to be sourced from renewables instead of fossil fuels. A big interest of mine is changing traditional forms of energy use to be more sustainable and renewable, as well as more resilient. I was never really planning on dedicating a career towards the environment and clean energy—my dream was actually to be an Intellectual Property Attorney focusing on biomedical and bioscience-related innovation—but now I am in the clean energy sphere, which I greatly enjoy. I have been working with the Sierra Club for about a year. 

How has your involvement with Sierra Club impacted you? 
In addition to being an organizer, technical advisor, and an industry leader in the electrification and built environment space, it has been quite fulfilling to directly engage with community stakeholders who are doing very important work to improve the conditions of marginalized communities in the face of climate change. I have specifically enjoyed working with Bridging the Gap in Virginia and working with C5 (Concerned Citizens of Charles City County), which has allowed me to learn about how truly harmful fossil fuel infrastructures are to all of us globally, and how it is time for us to shift into a new course of action as it relates to energy resiliency and affordability. It is great to not only be a student entering the environmental justice sphere, but also an industry leader in the professional space.  

What do you think the most rewarding part of your experience has been so far? 
The most rewarding part of my work for me is advocating for causes that communities of Richmond, the greater Virginia area, and the country are rooting for in shifting to more renewable forms of energy, and making sure that communities are more resilient in the face of climate change as it relates to where their energy is sourced. Organizing alongside community members impacted by climate change and supporting organizations who are on the ground making important changes is also rewarding. I think a lot of change happens on the ground through coalition and relationship building. It is inspiring to connect with passionate people who not only understand the need for clean energy and electrification, but also have a vision for a future that is more resilient, sustainable, and justice-oriented. Environmental justice has really become one of the most important things in my life—it shapes my academic goals, along with my personal and professional values. It is how I relate to the world around me and it is very fulfilling to have a job that is so environmental justice-oriented. 

You are a Business Administration major. How does sustainability and your major overlap?  
In my experience at the Robins School of Business, I feel that sustainability and environmental equity principles need to be more strongly incorporated into the curriculum, case studies, and what we are being taught in our classes. I have been able to mitigate the lack of sustainability in my Business School classes by shaping my class projects around clean energy topics. Each group project that I am a part of, I advocate to the group that we should do something clean energy or environmental related. One of my first group projects that was energy related was in my Business Statistics class, where our grade was shaped around projects rather than exams. I thought this was a great opportunity to not only learn more about solar and clean energy, but to also get my friends and group members pulled in on the topic. That project helped me figure out what my place could be in the clean energy sphere, which included solar and expanding clean energy principles. This directly tied into the community engagement work I was doing with Bridging the Gap in Virginia. It was nice to have a fusion of academic coursework related to clean energy with in-person direct engagement in a community that is seeking to expand solar infrastructure in marginalized communities throughout Virginia. 

Sustainability to me means a lot of different things—energy systems in the environment, the ways we approach DEI commitments, and fostering a space where marginalized and underserved voices are heard. As a person of color in the Business School, it is important to bring up those conversations and topics in my classes. While they may be uncomfortable, they are just as important as ones that surround financial markets. Climate change impacts everyone and we all need to care more about the environment around us.  

You’re about to graduate! Do you have any specific future goals as you continue your environmental advocacy? 
I started a company in late Spring 2022 called Mocokono, which I was planning to launch this past summer. I later decided to take a policy fellowship in addition to work, so I did not have the bandwidth to launch it. I plan on expanding my company upon graduation. Mocokono is a firm that seeks to increase coalition building, conversations about the built environment, and how respective leaders in each field—whether it is the environment and energy, arts management, or business and entrepreneurs—can positively contribute to the environmental and sustainability movement, especially with a focus on justice principles and amplifying marginalized voices. I have a lot of other things in the works, but I am looking forward to graduating and seeing what other opportunities lie ahead. 

What advice would you give to students who also want to have an impact but maybe don’t know where to start? 
First, begin figuring out what your value systems are. I am a proponent of aligning your passions with purpose, so I think it is important to figure out what you find most fulfilling and where you may excel. Empathy is a really important part of life and it is something that I seek to exude, as well as foster, in the communities that I am a part of. It is important to me that I am able to effectively communicate my passions to make an even bigger impact. Figure out your niche, which involves a lot of trial and error and stepping out of your comfort zone. Be the best advocate that you can for yourself because no one is going to be a better advocate than you are for yourself. When you are able to develop a sort of nuanced confidence where you can approach people and feel comfortable about what you are personally interested in, you will learn more about yourself. This could end up in you possibly discovering what sphere you might want to have an impact in.  

Interview conducted by Noelle Beswick, Office for Sustainability Communications Intern. 

Thank you, McKenna, for all you do to support sustainability on campus and in the greater Richmond area! Do you know someone who should be featured as a Sustainability Champion? Let us know at sustainability@richmond.edu. 

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