ABOUT
I am a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Georgia studying human-environment interactions, with a focus on environmental governance and policy.
I situate my research at the intersection of political ecology and legal anthropology. Broadly, I am driven by questions such as:
How do international laws get transformed, adapted, or undermined as they are implemented by national and subnational governments?
What are the implications of these dynamics on international policies which seek to address global social-environmental challenges, like climate change and biodiversity loss?
In addition to my research, I have a strong interest in science and policy communication, and other ways to engage the public around complex and pressing socio-ecological challenges.
Interdisciplinarity has always been a key component of my work - from my undergraduate research which focused the behavioral ecology of exotic invasive species, to my professional experience in the non-profit sector, and into my current research and teaching philosophy. The ability to communicate and collaborate across different disciplines, backgrounds, and world-views is key to the success of any project, and especially those that involve complex and dynamic systems.
ACADEMIC AFFILIATIONS
University of Georgia
RESEARCH INTERESTS
Environmental governance – how people make decisions about their environments
Political ecology – the connection between power and ecology, especially related to environmental degradation
Indigenous rights – including the laws that protect Indigenous Peoples, and the implementation of those laws in variable contexts
International policy – including processes of policy creation & implementation. I am especially interested in policies that seek to address “wicked” or intractable social and environmental challenges, which cross borders, involve multiple sectors of society, and which require international cooperation and coordination.
Climate change – its causes, effects, and strategies that are being undertaken at every level to address it.
The politics of translation – the communication of ideas across difference (e.g., across languages, cultures, disciplines, etc.).
Land use change – especially related to the social and ecological implications of agricultural and forestry practices, as well as more intensive extractive processes like mining and petroleum production.