HOUSTON, October 16, 2025 - Dr. Robert D. Bullard, Distinguished Professor of Urban Planning and Environmental Policy and Director of the Bullard Center for Environmental and Climate Justice at Texas Southern University, will be inducted into the National Academy of Medicine (NAM) in Washington, D.C., on Saturday, October 18, 2025.
Widely known as the “father of environmental justice,” Dr. Bullard was among 100 new members elected to the Academy in 2024. Election to NAM is one of the highest honors in the fields of health and medicine, recognizing individuals who have demonstrated outstanding professional achievement and commitment to service.
Dr. Bullard was selected for his “extraordinary vision, groundbreaking research, and sustained leadership to identify and end injustices affecting vulnerable people and places disproportionately harmed by pollution and climate change.”
As the author of 18 books and hundreds of scholarly papers, reports, and expert testimonies, Dr. Bullard has spent more than four decades leading efforts to dismantle systems that perpetuate inequality.
“Having the science, research, data, and facts alone is not enough,” said Dr. Bullard. “We must marry science, research, data, and facts with action to achieve transformative and lasting change and address the environmental, climate, and health challenges faced by our most vulnerable people and places. That’s our justice movement.”
This honor marks Dr. Bullard’s second major academic recognition in three years. He was also elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 2022. Founded in 1780, the Academy honors excellence and brings together leaders from every field of human endeavor to advance knowledge, address national and global challenges, and promote the common good.
READ MORE ABOUT THE BULLARD CENTER HERE
Media Contact:
DeJonique G. Baptiste
Assistant Director of Communications
Bullard Center for Environmental and Climate Justice
dejonique.baptiste@tsu.edu