Dr. Rayford D. Richardson is an Assistant Professor of Environmental Planning in the Department of Community and Regional Planning at Alabama A&M University. He received his Bachelor of Science in Industrial Technology, Master of Science in Transportation Planning & Management, and Ph.D. in Urban Planning and Environmental Policy from Texas Southern University.
Dr. Richardson’s academic work often intersects with urban planning, transportation, and Environmental Justice, where he collaborates with the Bullard Center for Environmental and Climate Justice at Texas Southern University. Dr. Richardson’s research areas include Environmental Justice, climate change and climate justice, transportation equity for driverless shuttles, and community engagement. Since joining the faculty at Alabama A&M University in 2024, his research has focused on AI to investigate rural household shopping behaviors, grocery store availability, and obesity among school-age children in Alabama.
In service to his community, Dr. Richardson has served as a faculty mentor for the HBCU Climate Change Conference. His involvement includes Justice 40: Climate and Economic Justice Screening Tool (CEJST) training, the Institutional Capacity of US Gulf Coast receiving communities, and the United Nations Climate Change Conference 2022 (UNFCCC COP 27).