Randy Loftis, M.A., Lecturer in the UNT Mayborn School of Journalism, is an award-winning journalist with over thirty years of experience as an environmental and investigative reporter. His career path has afforded him a profoundly unique perspective on environmental awareness, environmental justice, and environmental policymaking in North Texas. Randy began his career at The Miami Herald covering the Everglades. He came to The Dallas Morning News in 1989 during a time when multiple green initiatives where occurring at the city, regional, state and national levels. Air quality is one of the significant long-term public health and economic issues he has covered in North Texas. A series of breaking news stories on the air quality debate in the early 2000’s investigated business leaders, energy industry players, non-profit agencies, Washington initiatives, and the Texas Legislature. Complex issues, multi-disciplined viewpoints and journalistic responsibility are reflected in the topic of Randy Loftis’ 2007 Master’s thesis: “Environmental journalism curriculum as an imperative of democracy…” It is the journalism educator’s role to develop a curriculum that balances contextual understanding, personal connections, authentic storytelling, and rigorous evidence-based investigation. Randy also continues to advocate as an independent journalist and is active in non-profit journalism organizations including Investigative Reporter & Editors, the Society of Environmental Journalists (he was one of the founders), Texas Climate News, an online journal, and The National Geographic.