Bio
Dr. Figueroa specializes his research in Environmental Justice Studies and Environmental Philosophy, as well as the Philosophy of Science, Technology, and Society. Inclusive of his research is work on Philosophy of Heritage, Environmental Identity, Climate Refugees, Critical Race Theory, Feminist Philosophy, and Philosophy for Children. He is the Director of the Environmental Justice Project, a part of the Center for Environmental Philosophy, which maintains a non-profit classification. His areas of teaching and research have maintained a transdisciplinary (across disciplines and beyond academia) perspective, beginning with his first article with Sara Goering on the Summer High School Philosophy Institute they co-founded with Claudia Mills in Boulder, Colorado in 1995. The following year, they initiated the Philosophy Outreach Program. In 1995, he launched one of the first courses in the nation titled "Environmental Justice" and has been a leader in environmental justice pedagogy since. He has taught environmental justice in academic programs, such as philosophy, environmental studies/science, Africana and Latin American studies, peace and conflict studies, women's studies, and liberal arts core curricula. Currently he devotes environmental justice seminars to graduate students both at UNT and in greater academia, such as conferences.
Education
Ph.D., Philosophy, University of Colorado at Boulder, 1999
Certification in Pedagogy, Preparing Future Faculty Certificate, Graduate Teaching Program, University of Colorado at Boulder, 1998
M.S.N.T., Political Science/Environmental Policy, University of Colorado at Boulder, 1997
Certification in Pedagogy, Graudate Teaching Certificate, Graduate Teaching Program, University of Colorado at Boulder, 1996
M.A., Philosophy, University of Boulder, 1995
Teacher Educator Certification in Philosophy for Children, International Council for Philosophical Inquiry with Children and the Institute for the Advancement of Philosophy for Children, Montclair State University, 1995
B.A., Philosophy, Rutgers, State University of New Jersey, 1989
Courses
PHIL 1400: Contemporary Moral Issues
PHIL 2600: Ethics in Science
PHIL 4700: Environmental Ethics
PHIL 5300: Social and Political Philosophy
PHIL 5451: Environmental Ethics
Articles
Figueroa, R. M., & Waitt, G. (2008). Cracks in the mirror: (un)covering the moral terrains of environmental justice at Uluru--Kata Tjuta National Park. Ethics, Place, and Environment: A Journal of Philosophy and Geography..
Figueroa, R. M., & Waitt, G. (2007). Fissures in the rock: Rethinking pride and shame in the moral terrains of Uluru. Transactions of the Institute of British Geographers.
Figueroa, R. M., & Goering, S. (1997). The Summer Philosophy Institute of Colorado: Building bridges. Teaching Philosophy.
More Articles
Figueroa, R. M., & Glantz, M. H. (1997). Does the Aral Sea merit heritage status. Global Environmental Change: Human and Policy Dimensions.
Books and Books Edited
Figueroa, R. M. (2011). Indigenous populations and cultural losses. In J. Dryzek, R. Norgaard & D. Schlosberg (Eds.), The Oxford Handbook of Climate Change and Society Oxford University Press.
Figueroa, R. M., & Waitt, G. (2011). The moral terrains of ecotourism and the ethics of consumption. In T. Lewis & E. Potter (Eds.), Ethical Consumption: A Critical Introduction New York: Routledge.
Figueroa, R. M. (2009). Whose environment? Which justice?: Social philosophy and environmental justice. University of Arizona Press.
More Books
Figueroa, R. M., & Waitt, G. (2008). Touring the moral terrain of Uluru: Pathways of shame and pride. In F. Vanclay, J. Malpas, M. Higgins & A. Blackshaw (Eds.), in Making Sense of Place: Exploring Concepts and Expressions of Place Through Different Senses and Lenses Canberra: The National Museum of Australia.
Figueroa, R. M. (2006). Evaluating environmental justice claims. In J. Bauer (Ed.), Forging Environmentalism: Justice, Livelihood, and Contested Environments New York: M.E. Sharpe.
Figueroa, R. M., & Harding, S. (2003). Introduction. In R. Figueroa & S. Harding (Eds.), Science and Other Cultures: Issues in Philosophies of Science and Technology New York: Routledge.
Figueroa, R. M. (2002). Teaching for transformation: Lessons from environmental justice. In J. Adamson, R. Stein & M. Evans (Eds.), The Environmental Justice Reader: Politics, Poetics, and Pedagogy University of Arizona Press
Figueroa, R. M. (2001). Other faces: Latinos and environmental justice. In L. Westra & B. Lawson (Eds.), Faces of Environmental Racism: Confronting Issues of Global Justice Rowman and Littlefield Publishers, Inc.
Figueroa, R. M. (2000). Environmental justice. In C. Mills & D. Jamieson (Eds.), A Companion to Environmental Philosophy Basil Blackwell Ltd
Posters/Presentations
Figueroa, R. M. (2010, March). Engineering sustainability and environmental justice: What are the difficulties? What are the possibilities?. Association for practical and professional ethics: Ninth Annual Meeting, Cincinnati, Ohio.
Figueroa, R. M. (2010, March). Just waters: Environmental justice at its global depths. Paper presented at University of North Texas Waterways 2010 international conference and symposium, Denton, Texas.
Figueroa, R. M. (2010, March). Environmental justice and the ethical crisis of climate change. Dallas philosopher’s forum, Dallas, Texas.
More Presentations
Figueroa, R. M. (2010, May). Science stories, environmental heritage, and political legacies. Society for ethnobiology: 33rd annual meeting, Victoria, BC, Canada.
Figueroa, R. M. (2010, May). Environmental justice, restoration, and technological reconciliation. 3tep: three universities integrating philosophy of technology and environmental philosophy—University of Twente, University of North Texas, Colorado School of Mines, University of North Texas, Denton, Texas.
Figueroa, R. M., & Whyte, K. P. (2010, November). Agrarian ideals and environmental justice. International Association of Environmental Philosophy: fourteenth annual meeting, Montreal, Canada.
Figueroa, R. M. (2010, November). Environmental heritage and the culture of climate: Commentary-climate change culture panel i- Gerry Canavan, Joni Adamson, Hsyinya Huang, and Giovanna Dichiro. Presented at The Annual Meeting of the American Studies Association- Crisis, Chains, and Change American studies in the twenty-first century, San Antonio, Texas.
Figueroa, R. M. (2009, March). Situating crisis science: Comparative research and the placebo effect of science. Presented at University of North Texas 24th anniversary meeting of the North Texas Philosophy Association, Denton, Texas.
Figueroa, R. M. (2009, April). Environmental justice, restoration, and technological reconciliation. Presented at Colorado School of Mines,” 3tep: three universities integrating philosophy of technology and environmental philosophy—University of Twente, University of North Texas, Colorado School of Mines, Golden, Colorado.
Figueroa, R. M. (2009, June). Environmental justice, poverty, and racism. Presented at University of North Texas Mean green debate workshop: Summer high school program, Denton, Texas.
