University of Maryland urban planning Associate Professor Marccus Hendricks has been named to the Harvard Radcliffe Institute 2026-27 class of fellows. He is one of 53 scientists, writers, scholars, public intellectuals and artists from around the world selected to pursue ambitious projects at the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study at Harvard University, one of the world’s leading centers for interdisciplinary exploration.
“To be invited by the Dean of the Harvard Radcliffe Institute to join this fellowship cohort is a profound honor, especially at this moment,” said Hendricks. “As a first-generation college graduate, Ph.D., and now professor, I never could have imagined being considered for such a prestigious appointment. I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to join the distinguished lineage of fellows whose work has shaped science, culture, public thought, and policy.”
One of just two fellows selected as Radcliff-Salata Climate Justice Fellows (a joint appointment between Harvard Radcliffe and the Salata Institute), Hendricks will spend the year completing his first book, which uncovers the history of Baltimore’s sewer system, one of the first in the nation, and how infrastructure can become a mechanism of inequity and social exclusion.
“Marccus’ work has shaped a national conversation on the perils of urban infrastructure and is worthy of this recognition,” said Dawn Jourdan, dean of UMD’s School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation. “The Harvard Radcliffe Fellowship is a highly selective program and a nurturing interdisciplinary community; we are thrilled that Marccus will be able to take advantage of this opportunity.”
A sought-after voice in environmental justice, Hendricks is the director of the Stormwater Infrastructure Resilience and Justice Lab (SIRJ) at the University of Maryland and a principal investigator of UMD’s Water Emergency Team, a community-driven rapid-response to sewer overflows and backups in underserved African American communities in Baltimore and the surrounding region. Their work was instrumental in understanding the ramifications of the Washington, D.C. interceptor spill this past winter. His research, which sits at the intersection of infrastructure, climate risks and environmental justice, has shed light on the disproportionate impacts of flooding and pollution on marginalized communities, the result of inadequate infrastructure.
In 2023, Hendricks served as a senior advisor for Environmental Justice in the Biden administration at the White House Council on Environmental Quality. He recently earned the Young, Gifted & Green 40 Under 40 Award for his impactful environmental justice work in communities across the country.
Radcliffe fellows are individuals at varying stages of their careers and represent a breadth of disciplines, from scientists and policymakers to writers and humanities scholars. Past fellows include Jill Lepore, Samantha Power, Zadie Smith, Elizabeth Warren and the Nobel laureate Michael Kremer.