Austin Mendoza

Austin Mendoza (he/him) grew up during times of great climate upheaval in San Diego, California — living through destructive wildfires, rising sea levels, and extreme drought. As a result, Austin is passionate about advancing equity and building solidarity in the environmental space as the state and the world continue to live with the inequitable effects of climate change.

As a Data Analyst at the Equity Research Institute, Austin’s work focuses mostly on environmental justice. He has contributed to reports and publications on making statewide climate investments more equitable, the impacts and opportunities of lithium development in the Imperial Valley, and air pollution in the Bay Area. He also helped to start the Environmental Justice series on ERI’s blog.

Austin holds a Master’s degree in Public Policy and a Bachelor’s degree in Psychobiology, both from UCLA. Prior to joining the Equity Research Institute, Austin conducted policy analysis and community outreach on extreme heat with the City of Los Angeles, desk research on international climate justice with federal agencies, and wrote about policy and culture with LGBTQ+ newspapers. Outside of work, Austin enjoys photography, ocean diving, and trying new food.