Changes With the Season

Dear Tishman Center Community,

As we transition into a new season and year,  I want to share an important update about my professional journey with the broader Tishman Center community.

I am thrilled to start a new role as the Resource Mobilization Officer at the Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives (GAIA), an organization I've known and admired for a long time. My work will focus on resourcing GAIA’s mission to catalyze a global shift toward environmental justice by strengthening grassroots social movements that advance waste and pollution solutions, working across the globe. In this role, I will continue my efforts to move philanthropic resources to be more justice-centered, equitable, and accessible to the broader climate and environmental justice movement. This career shift feels like a natural continuation of my work here, as GAIA’s values deeply align with those of the Tishman Center.

While I look forward to this new journey, working at the Tishman Center has been a true privilege over the last nine years. In my role as the Managing Director, I am proud to be part of the Center’s transformation from a three-person team to a robust team of over a dozen staff members and numerous New School student researchers. Along my journey at the Center, I have had the opportunity to co-author four action-based research reports, co-launch our EJ Disrupt Design Fellowship, support awarding students and faculty research grants, and mobilize resources to fund EJ community partners. My work at the Tishman Center in partnership, alignment, and in-service of the EJ movement has profoundly impacted my life.

The environmental justice movement challenges all of us to reflect on our past, navigate the present, and move forward with an understanding of how systemic injustices harm many while benefiting a few. Over the past year, which has often been difficult and painful for many of us, I found solace and solidarity in the environmental justice movement. As a Palestinian American, I discovered a professional home where my identity was accepted and deeply valued—a place where our shared commitment to justice creates lasting bonds. In moments of uncertainty, the principles and values of the EJ movement serve as a guiding light. I carry these lessons into my new role at GAIA.

Looking ahead, I have no doubt this remarkable team will keep making transformative contributions to carry out our Center’s mission and vision. To my colleagues across The New School—from the University’s Development team, Marketing and Communications, the Office of Research Support, the Provost to Procurement, and everywhere in between—thank you for your collaboration, dedication, and support. It has been a joy and great honor to be part of The New School community. 

In closing, I express my deepest gratitude to the Tishman Center team for their tireless commitment to environmental justice and the solidarity they’ve shown me over the years. I will cherish my time here always and look forward to staying connected as we continue our shared fight for climate and environmental justice.

In Community,

Adrienne Perovich