Biography
Rachel York-Bridgers teaches in the English Studies department. She is an environmentalist,
poet, educator, documentary filmmaker, and naturalist interested in the many ways
in which art intersects with the environment and can engender an eco-centric worldview.
She works with Filmmakers, Biologists, and Educators to explore the relationship between
climate and culture.<br><br>Rachel holds a doctorate in Education and Environmental
Humanities from the University of Toronto and an MA in English from WCU. She taught
at the University of Toronto, Los Angeles College, and Southwestern Community College
before returning to WCU to teach in the English department in 2016. She is the recipient
of writing awards, including the Sandburg Livesay poetry award, and the University
of Toronto School of the Environment award for best practical environmental design,
as well as many film, community art, and environmental projects.<br><br>In 2006, Rachel
was the recipient of the President Obama Community Leadership award for creating a
leadership program for young women in Southern California.<br>Her documentary <i>A
Monumental Project</i> was completed in 2023 and won the WCU community research engagement
award. She is currently collaborating on a second documentary project with filmmaker
Sean Bridgers and an interdisciplinary study on creativity with two colleagues at
WCU.
Teaching Interests
Film Studies, Popular Culture, Environmental Literature, Writing and Rhetoric, and
Outdoor Learning.
Research Interests
Interests include how visual rhetoric, storytelling, and media arts can empower communities
and promote change, as well as the many ways art intersects with the environment and
can foster an Eco-centric worldview.
