Thriving Communities Technical Assistance Center for environmental justice in the Southeast
Project Overview
The UGA College of Engineering serves as one of eight university partners with nonprofit research institute RTI International to establish the Environmental Justice Thriving Communities Technical Assistance Center (EJ TCTAC) to help communities across the Southeast advance environmental justice. The EPA funds 16 TCTACs across the country.
The Southeast TCTAC, known as the Resource for Assistance and Community Training in Region 4 on Environmental Justice or REACT4EJ, works to connect communities working toward sustainable goals with funding opportunities, subject matter experts, government and academic institutions, training and education resources and guidance documents. Issues the group focuses on include air, water and soil quality, exposure to environmental hazards, clean energy transitions and more.

Meet the Team
The UGA REACT4EJ team consists of IRIS affiliates Christina Fuller, Alysha Helmrich and Felix Santiago-Collazo. Coordinated by RTI International, REACT4EJ project partners include the University of Georgia, Alabama A&M University, Florida A&M University, Jackson State University, North Carolina Central University, the University of Kentucky, the University of Memphis, and the University of South Carolina.
The group hopes to collaborate with an extended network of grassroots community groups, municipalities, agencies, and others to implement sustainable, long-term environmental justice solutions.


Alysha Helmrich, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, College of Engineering
ahelmrich@uga.edu

Christina Fuller, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, College of Engineering
christina.fuller@uga.edu

Féliz Santiago-Collazo, Ph.D., P.E.
Assistant Professor, College of Engineering
fsantiago@uga.edu
the mission

what is a tctac?
There are 16 EPA-funded TCTACs across the country, with the Region 4 center working across the largest number of states: Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Tennessee, Kentucky, North Carolina and South Carolina. Within this region, REACT4EJ brings together partners from major universities like UGA and Georgia Tech, as well as sustainable community initiatives and Tribal Nations.
Each EJ TCTAC provides training and support in navigating federal grant application systems, writing grant proposals, and managing grant funding. In addition, they will provide guidance on community engagement, meeting facilitation, and translation and interpretation services for limited English-speaking participants, with a goal of removing barriers and improving accessibility for communities with environmental justice concerns.
the goal
REACT4EJ will provide training and support in navigating federal grant application systems, writing grant proposals, and managing grant funding. In addition, they will provide guidance on community engagement, meeting facilitation, and translation and interpretation services for limited English-speaking participants, with a goal of removing barriers and improving accessibility for communities with environmental justice concerns.
The group hopes to collaborate with an extended network of grassroots community groups, municipalities, agencies, and others to implement sustainable, long-term environmental justice solutions.
