Uploaded March 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Why can one Baltimore neighborhood be 10°F hotter than another during a heat wave? This “urban heat island effect” is a result of lack of tree cover, green space access, and decades of inequity in the built environment. In his work with the Baltimore Social-Environmental Collaborative, Johns Hopkins University professor Benjamin Zaitchik, PhD, works with universities, communities, and city agencies to study extreme heat and develop solutions.
The work builds on a legacy that traces back to Rachel Carson, who earned her master's degree in zoology from Johns Hopkins University in 1932. Her groundbreaking book Silent Spring exposed the dangers of DDT and helped launch the modern environmental movement. Her example of taking science out of the lab and to the public inspires Zaitchik’s work today.
To learn more, visit https://giving.jhu.edu/story/zaitchik-baltimore-weather/.
Why can one Baltimore neighborhood be 10°F hotter than another during a heat wave? This “urban heat island effect” is a result of lack of tree cover, green space access, and decades of inequity in the built environment. In his work with the Baltimore Social-Environmental Collaborative, Johns Hopkins University professor Benjamin Zaitchik, PhD, works with universities, communities, and city agencies to study extreme heat and develop solutions.
The work builds on a legacy that traces back to Rachel Carson, who earned her master's degree in zoology from Johns Hopkins University in 1932. Her groundbreaking book Silent Spring exposed the dangers of DDT and helped launch the modern environmental movement. Her example of taking science out of the lab and to the public inspires Zaitchik’s work today.
To learn more, visit https://giving.jhu.edu/story/zaitchik-baltimore-weather/.
