Catherine Coleman Flowers is an American environmental health researcher and writer who founded the Center for Rural Enterprise and Environmental Justice. She was awarded a MacArthur Fellowship in 2020, recognizing her work in environmental justice and public health. Flowers is particularly known for her research and advocacy regarding failing sewage treatment infrastructure in rural U.S. communities. Her work has brought significant attention to environmental health challenges in areas like Lowndes County, Alabama, where inadequate sanitation systems have created serious public health concerns. Her first book, Waste: One Woman's Fight Against America's Dirty Secret, explores the environmental justice movement in rural America and documents her efforts to address these infrastructure failures and their impact on vulnerable communities.