Our Experts

Dominic Bednar

Dr. Dominic Bednar is an Assistant Professor in Urban Planning and Public Policy at UC Irvine’s School of Social Ecology. As an ITS faculty member, Dr. Bednar conducts research on energy justice and sustainable mobility. Dr. Bednar’s career is informed by a B.S. in Civil Engineering and a minor in Sustainability Studies, followed by a M.S. in Sustainable Systems and a Ph.D. in Environment and Sustainability. Dr. Bednar’s current research focuses on creating equitable transit systems by collaborating directly with communities in car-dependent cities such as LA and Atlanta. Dr. Bednar’s community-based approach to research is an essential aspect to their work in advancing energy justice. In the interest of energy justice, Dr. Bednar is the Co-founder of Black in Environment and a policy leader with Black Hive, a movement for Black Lives initiative focused on climate and environmental justice. In their free time, Dr. Bednar is a DJ, a sonic artist, a language learner, and a global traveler focused on building community with others