Alumna Profile: Isadora Nogueira

Isadora Nogueira BC ‘20 has always been passionate about the environment and social justice. Born in Brazil but growing up in New York City and California, Isadora was drawn to the urban environment and the complex relationship between humans and nature. At Barnard, she dove deep into environmental studies, taking classes that explored the history of the Hudson River and the anthropological perspectives on the human-nature relationship. When I interviewed Isadora for this profile, her eyes lit up as she described taking classes about eco-criticism and anthropology classes with Paige West and Marilyn Ivy, Professors of Anthropology. 

Initially wanting to earn her degree in urban studies, Isadora shifted to environment and sustainability partly because of how much she liked the Barnard environmental science department. “I thought it had really great energy, really great faculty and a close-knit vibe,” Isadora told me. However, perhaps Isadora’s most transformative experience was a trip to Santiago, Chile, organized by the Consortium for Advanced Studies Abroad (CASA). In Chile, Isadora learned about the water crisis and the disproportionate impact of climate change on indigenous communities. This experience sparked a more profound interest in environmental justice and policy work. 

Back at Barnard, Isadora got involved with the City Atlas program, a cooperative board game aimed to decarbonize New York City's electrical grid by 2035. Through this project, she gained a deeper understanding of the scale of the climate challenge and the need for community-driven solutions. Isadora recounted the questions this experience sparked – “I began asking what communities we are going to be putting [renewable infrastructure] in? Who's going to be getting these jobs? How do we deal with all of the NIMBYism that's going to come out of the massive infrastructure that needs to be built? And how do we work with communities instead of against communities?”

Isadora also got involved in Extinction Rebellion (XR) NYC, working on the NYC Citizens’ Assembly Guidebook. A Citizens’ Assembly movement brings together a representative cross-section of residents to learn from experts, deliberate together, and make policy recommendations. Then the COVID-19 pandemic hit – Isadora kept working closely with others in XR and wrote her senior thesis, supervised by EJCJC Network director Jackie Klopp, on the resident backlash to the East Side Coastal Resiliency project.

After graduating from Barnard, Isadora continued her environmental justice work, including a stint at a nonprofit in Oakland called the Public Health Institute. There, she worked on a project in Oxnard, California, focused on improving climate resilience for farmworkers, a particularly vulnerable population. This experience further solidified Isadora's belief in the importance of grassroots organizing and community-led initiatives.

Inspired by her work in Oakland, Isadora decided to pursue a law degree, enrolling at NYU Law School. During her time there, she has been actively involved in groups like Law Students for Climate Accountability, working to hold law firms accountable for their fossil fuel work and ranking top law schools based on their relationships with fossil fuel companies. Isadora recently founded NYU’s chapter of Law Students for Climate Accountability. Through NYU’s Environmental Law Society, Isadora collaborated with organizations like WE ACT to research and advocate for policies like the New York Heat Act.

When I asked Isadora for advice for students who wish to get involved in environmental and climate justice advocacy, she emphasized the importance of community-building. “The only thing that makes this work doable and not totally hopeless is being in community with people,” she said.

Now in her third year of law school, Isadora is considering roles in environmental enforcement at the state Attorney General's office, as well as opportunities at environmental nonprofits like Earthjustice, where, as an intern, she worked on issues related to Bitcoin mining and coal ash. Wherever her path leads, it's clear that Isadora is committed to using her legal expertise to fight for a more sustainable and equitable future.