With support from the CU Denver’s Office of Undergraduate Research and Creative Activities, Dr. Ivan J. Ramírez (Health and Behavioral Sciences) launched a prototype lab (Civic Engagement and Climate Justice [CECJ] ThinkLab) that fosters interdisciplinary research experiences for undergraduate students interested in the many facets of climate justice and social dimensions. An important objective is to explicitly integrate advocacy and service-learning components, ideally so students can learn the implications of research into action. Currently, three undergraduate seniors from the CU Denver Public Health BA program are investigating how the definition of the climate phenomenon El Niño affects societal responses to climate variability and extreme weather events. The broader research subject raises epistemic justice questions about whose climate definition and knowledge counts. Students will present their work at the upcoming URCA symposium as well as at the American Association of Geographers Annual Meeting this spring semester.