Dr. Claudia J. Ford

Dr. Claudia J. Ford has had a career in international development and women’s health spanning four decades and all continents. Dr. Ford is professor and chair of the department of environmental studies at State University of New York, Potsdam. She has a BA in Biology from Columbia University, MFA in Creative Nonfiction Writing from Vermont College of Fine Arts, MBA in Health Administration from Antioch University, and PhD in Environmental Studies from Antioch University. Dr. Ford is a midwife and ethnobotanist, who teaches, conducts research and writes about traditional ecological knowledge, spiritual ecology, entheogenic plants, women’s reproductive health, and sustainable agriculture. Dr. Ford has served on the boards of the Soul Fire Farm Institute, and The Black Farmer Fund Pilot Community, both organizations committed to supporting Black farmers, and ending racism and injustice in the food system. Claudia is currently writing a book, Black Ecological Wisdom, revealing the environmental traditions of the Black diaspora for the purpose of planetary healing at this time of environmental crisis. Claudia is a writer, poet, and visual artist; and a single mother who has shared the delights and adventures of her global travel with her four children and two grandchildren.