Christopher Fici Ph.D

ficichristopher@gmail.com ▪ 2023047995 ▪ https://christopherficiphd.squarespace.com/

Climate Justice | Anticipatory Resilience | Project Management | Education and Curriculum Design

Interdisciplinary educator and researcher with expertise in anticipatory concepts,
futures studies, and ecological resilience/adaptation

Strengths: Policy Research; Literature Review; Workshop Facilitation; Coalition Building; Curriculum
Design; Systems Thinking; Public Writing

Skills: Regenerative leadership; Environmental justice advocacy; Anticipatory theology; Cross-sector
partnerships; Public scholarship

Summary: I am an interdisciplinary educator and strategist with a Ph.D. in Religion and Ecology,
specializing in climate justice, community resilience, and policy-informed grassroots education. I have a
strong track record of working with environmental justice communities through storytelling, coalition-based
advocacy, and popular education. With a deep commitment to participatory pedagogy, systems thinking, and
narrative research rooted in lived experience, I am dedicated to advancing climate policy through
justice-centered strategies that empower communities to adapt and thrive in the face of climate challenges.

WORK EXPERIENCE

AmeriCorps Engagement Team | Office of Sustainability and Innovation, City of Ann Arbor, MI

12/2025 – 11/2026

-Produced promotional reels, documentaries, and multimedia content using Canva, iMovie, and Final
Cut Pro to support the Office’s public-facing engagement events, social media strategy, and overall
storytelling approach to sustainability and climate action.

-Developed educational materials and facilitated workshops and seminars on key project areas
including geothermal energy, electric vehicles, solar power, and sustainable food systems,
strengthening the Office’s engagement with local educational communities across K-12 and higher
education settings.

-Expanded and managed the Office’s network of local collaborators through CRM systems, building
new partnerships, collating stakeholder information, and organizing collaborator databases
according to business focus, community activism, engagement interests, and opportunities for
growth.

-Researched and authored white papers on anticipatory community, environmental psychology, and
philosophical and pragmatic dimensions of contemporary climate activism, deepening the Office’s
engagement strategy and enriching its narrative framework for public communication.

-Supported community outreach, engagement, and resident buy-in for solarization and district
geothermal initiatives in the Bryant neighborhood, centering environmental justice frameworks to
ensure equitable access to clean energy infrastructure.

Developed GIS mapping competencies to help organize and develop the office’s engagement
strategy for promotions, communications, and networking with climate-aligned stakeholders and
collaborators in Ann Arbor.

Researcher | Academic — Washington, DC / New York, NY Sep 2015 – Present

-Delivered comprehensive, interactive workshops on ecological justice, anticipatory governance, and
spiritual resilience, engaging national interfaith and community-based networks in discussions that
bridge faith, environmental ethics, and climate action.

-Produced a range of educational modules and storytelling tools focused on local climate policy,
circular economies, and food justice, designed to make complex concepts accessible and actionable
for diverse audiences, including faith-based and grassroots community groups.

-Conducted qualitative research through ethnographic case studies during doctoral work, generating
insights into community resilience, climate justice, and participatory practices relevant to program
design and policy development.

-Synthesized narrative research into policy-relevant resources on faith-based climate adaptation,
collaborating with local organizations to integrate faith-based frameworks with scientific and policy
recommendations, facilitating clearer paths for community-level climate resilience.

-Published extensively in both peer-reviewed journals and public platforms, addressing pressing
issues in ecological ethics, anticipatory systems, and just transition pathways, working to elevate
scholarly discourse while making research accessible to the broader public and advocacycommunities.

-Facilitated discussions, panels, and conferences that brought together scholars, activists, and
religious leaders to forge stronger connections between environmental justice, faith-based advocacy,
and policy reform.

Educator and Head of Department: Archbishop Carroll High School, Washington, DC

08/2021–07/2025

-Led a comprehensive, department-wide curriculum reform initiative to center racial, economic, and
ecological justice in theology instruction, integrating principles of equity and environmental
stewardship into every course.

-Designed and implemented inclusive learning environments that prioritized student empowerment,
drawing on values of resilience, liberation, and intersectionality to engage students from diverse
backgrounds in meaningful, justice-oriented discourse.

-Organized and led cross-disciplinary workshops on ethical leadership, climate advocacy, and faith in
public life, equipping students with the skills to critically examine their roles in shaping a more just
and sustainable society.

-Cultivated partnerships with community organizations to integrate real-world environmental
challenges into the curriculum, fostering an experiential learning environment that reinforced the
importance of advocacy and direct action for ecological and social justice.

Adjunct Professor | Iona College New Rochelle, NY; 08/2020 – 05/2021

DePaul University Chicago, IL 08/2021 – 05/2022

-Designed and delivered courses on “Religion and the Natural World” and the work of Thomas Berry,
integrating ecological sustainability and environmental justice, emphasizing their connections to
religious thought and ethical leadership.

-Designed and delivered a course on “The Bhakti Movement”, exploring the theory and practice of
religious devotion in the context of Hinduism and for the theory and practice of religion at large.

-Created engaging online and hybrid learning experiences during a period of COVID learning,
enhancing student participation and understanding of complex topics in spirituality and the natural
world.

-Developed innovative course content and materials, including integrating multimedia and interactive
resources to encourage student collaboration and critical thinking.

Project Management/Development 09/2013 – 08/2020

-Organized and facilitated annual academic conferences for the American Academy of Religion,
overseeing theme development, logistics, and budgeting to ensure inclusive, financially accessible
spaces for scholarly advancement and professional networking.

-Developed and facilitated the “Edible Churchyard” community garden project for the Center of Earth
Ethics at Union Theological Seminary which increases community engagement and awareness of
ecological issues and solutions.

-Organized community-supported agriculture projects and educational programs concerning food
justice and environmental justice with WEACT (West Harlem Environmental Action) and Corbin Hill
Food Project in New York City.

EDUCATION, PUBLICATIONS, AND FELLOWSHIPS

Union Theological Seminary, New York City, NY

Ph.D. – Constructive and Comparative Theology / Religion and Ecology | 2020
Dissertation: “Where Earth Meets the Divine is the Root of Devotion: Anticipatory Community and
Regenerative Ecotheology in the Time of Climate Catastrophe”

Committee: Larry L. Rasmussen, John J. Thatamanil, Ravi M. Gupta, Cynthia Moe-Lobeda, Anantanand
Rambachan

M.Phil and M.A. – Constructive and Comparative Theology / Religious Studies | 2015

University of Michigan, Ann Arbor

B.A. – Film and Cinema Studies | 2004

SELECT PUBLICATIONS AND PRESENTATIONS

-“Of Bows and Pipelines: Can the Bhagavad-Gita Direct Us to Climate Justice?” in Ahimsa in the

Indic Traditions, (Bloomsbury Publishing 2024)

-Guest Editor, The Journal of Dharma Studies (Special Issue on Ecotheology, 2021)

-Co-editor, The Future of Religious Studies: What is Our Responsibility as Public Intellectuals?

(Routledge, 2018)

“Earth-Honoring Faith and Climate Justice” | American Academy of Religion Panel, San Antonio, TX, 2018

FELLOWSHIP EXPERIENCE

-ClimateBase Fellowship, 2025

-GreenFaith Fellowship, 2015-2016

PROFESSIONAL REFERENCES

Charlene Howard, Executive Director, Pax Christi

(301) 785-4393, choward@paxchristi.org

Anantanand Rambachan, Professor, St. Olaf College

(952) 913-5745, rambacha@stolaf.edu

Sara Jolena Wolcott, Creative Director/Educator, Sequoia Samanvaya

(925) 528-9978, sarajolena@sequoiasamanvaya.com