Carole LeBlanc: A Climate Change Enthusiast
University of New England’s students seem to take an interest in Dr. Carole LeBlanc’s class as she is able to grab attention by discussing the importance of climate change, relating to real world examples in her personal experience.
Angelina Keizer | University Student | April 1, 2025
Environmental Professor at University of New England, Dr. Carole LeBlanc continues to spark a thirst of interest about Climate Change in UNE’s students. Alongside teaching about climate change she has also written books on it! Dr. LeBlanc was the editor of Demystifying Climate Risk, Volumes I and II as well as contributing author and editor of The Perils of Climate Risk.
Dr. LeBlanc was the first American woman to graduate from the doctoral program in Sustainable Development and Management at Erasmus University, the Netherlands. LeBlanc is a former special expert on emerging contaminants for the United States Department of Defense (Dod). In 2007, she was awarded a Defense Special Act Award for her part in the formation of the DoD’s toxic and hazardous chemicals reduction plan, mandated by a presidential executive order. In 1999, she was part of a Massachusetts state team that received the prestigious Ford Foundation and John F. Kennedy School of Government/Harvard University’s Innovations in American Government Award.
Dr. LeBlanc unintentionally began her career here at UNE as a professor all because the people who sold her an antique farmhouse in Maine suggested she apply for the position as an environmental professor, knowing she was an expert in the environment.
The adjustment was weird for LeBlanc, I mean switching from the Pentagon to a College professor is a huge adaptation. She emphasizes how she was more nervous her first day of class than her first day working at the Pentagon.
Carole started her career as an ordinary college student who attended UMass Lowell, located in Massachusetts. She worked as a lab manager there, handling chemicals. One day while in the lab, she received an anonymous phone call claiming to be the Pentagon but she suspected it to be a prank call until she saw the ending digits traced back to Washington D.C. She recalls saying to herself, “Holy shit! It’s the government!” in great excitement.
From there on, she worked at the Pentagon for the majority of her life as something they called a “Special Expert” in the Emerging Contaminants Program. Here, she dealt with chemicals properly to ensure they weren’t harmful to the environment.
