ABOUT DR. JOY SEMIEN & OUR WORK
Rooted in community.
Driven by purpose.
I connect research, education, and lived experience to help organizations build meaningful programs and turn ideas into action.
THE STORY BEHIND THE WORK
For me, this work begins at home.
I grew up in Geismar, Louisiana, a fenceline community in the industrial corridor known as Cancer Alley. Witnessing chemical explosions and leaks shaped my questions about hazards, race, and environmental justice, and my commitment to helping communities prepare.
That commitment led me to study biology, urban planning, environmental policy, and disaster issues. It also taught me that research has to connect with the people whose lives it describes.
Today, I bring scientific training and community experience into the same room. Whether I am facilitating a workshop, designing a curriculum, or managing a program, my goal is to make complex information understandable, relevant, and useful.
Education
2015
Dillard
B.S. in Biology; minor in Chemistry
2017
Texas Southern
M.S. in Urban Planning and Environmental Policy
2024
Texas A&M
Ph.D. in Urban and Regional Science; Concentration: Hazard Mitigation
L.E.E.D. WITH JOY LLC · ESTABLISHED 2019
Listen. Engage. Empower. Drive change.
I founded L.E.E.D. With Joy to help organizations connect their ideas, research, and resources with community priorities. Our work combines thoughtful planning, accessible learning, community engagement, and evaluation.
Design meaningful programs
Turn goals into practical plans, coordinate implementation, and evaluate what participants learn and experience.
Connect with communities
Create opportunities to listen, build relationships, and bring community perspectives into organizational decisions.
Make learning practical
Combine presentations, discussion, participatory activities, and useful resources so people can apply what they learn.
SELECTED WORK
Research into action. Learning into practice.
Explore programs, curricula, research, and tools developed through collaborative work.
PROGRAM MANAGEMENT
Ready Together
A community education initiative connecting disaster preparedness, partnerships, and practical resources.
My contribution
Program planning and implementation, partnership coordination, workshop development, team coordination, and evaluation.
Work in practice
Coordinating people, learning experiences, and operations to support community preparedness.
PROGRAM MANAGEMENT
ACTS Community Programs
Adult and youth learning initiatives bringing together community education, STEAM activities, and student research.
My contribution
Program management, curriculum development, workshop facilitation, student engagement, and implementation support.
Work in practice
Connecting program goals with structured learning experiences for participants from K to Gray.
INSTRUCTIONAL DESIGN
E-Courses & LMS Development
Online and in-person learning experiences that turn complex topics into organized, accessible instruction.
My contribution
Curriculum development, course organization, learning activities, and learning management system development.
Work in practice
Experience developing 23 courses, working with Moodle and Canvas, and using Articulate 360.
INSTRUCTIONAL DESIGN
College Environmental Curriculum
College-level environmental learning connected to field experiences and community settings.
My contribution
Curriculum planning, lesson development, experiential learning design, and field experience integration.
Work in practice
A four-week curriculum with 20 lessons and more than seven field trips.
DISASTER EDUCATION & APPLIED RESEARCH
K.A.P.S. Education & Tools
Disaster education, research, and practical tools focused on knowledge, attitude, preparedness, and skills.
My contribution
Research translation, educational framework development, curriculum design, facilitator resources, and preparedness tools.
Work in practice
Includes the K.A.P.S. framework, Organizational Continuity Plan Builder, and resources for different audiences.
PROGRAM EVALUATION
Communities of Care
Collaborative evaluation support helping community organizations document their work and use information for improvement.
My contribution
Qualitative and quantitative data support, evaluation coordination, technical assistance, and collaborative project organization.
Work in practice
Contributed to an evaluation team and provided Community Tool Box technical assistance to 10 community organizations.
Selected projects reflect work completed in collaboration with organizations, research teams, educators, and community partners. Some client and program names are omitted.
PROFESSIONAL BACKGROUND
Download Dr. Joy’s CV
Explore my education, professional experience, research, publications, and community work in my curriculum vitae.
SELECTED WRITING
Explore the research behind the work.
Hazard Mitigation Training for Vulnerable Communities
A K.A.P.S. (Knowledge, Attitude, Preparedness, Skills) Approach
Joy Semien and Earthea Nance · Routledge
A Question of Human Rights
Transnational Targeting of Environmental Justice Communities
Beverly Wright, Earthea Nance, Denae King, and Joy Semien · Humanity & Society
Let’s put ideas into action.
Bring Dr. Joy to your next event, workshop, or community initiative, or discuss support for a program, curriculum, research project, or evaluation.
RECOGNITION
Awards and Honors
2026
Community Advocacy and Service
Council Member Dr. Letitia Plummer, City of Houston
2025
40 Under 40
Dillard University
2026
Best Life Coach
Quality Business Awards
2026
Community Advocacy and Service
Council Member Dr. Letitia Plummer, City of Houston
2025
40 Under 40: Alumni Achievement Award
Dillard University
2020
Make a Difference Memorial Award
Hagler Institute for Advanced Studies
2020
Speaker Appreciation
United States Geological Survey
2019
PBCD Student Awardee
American Planning Association, Planning and the Black Community
2015
MLK Community Service Award
MLK Walk for Peace