Expertise
My research interests focus on how social relationships of power and inequality influence people’s interactions with the environment. Carrying out projects in Uganda, Vietnam, and the U.S. South, I have explored food insecurity, rural livelihoods, forced migration, the politics of environmental conservation, and climate change. More than anything, I love to talk with people, to hear their stories in their words, and to get a glimpse into the ways they have built their lives and livelihoods in a variety of ecological and political-economic contexts. Most recently, I have become interested in the ways campus farms can deepen students’ understanding of and engagement with local food systems and support efforts to make those food systems more just, vibrant, and ecologically sustainable.
Since 2016, I have coordinated the Environmental Studies discipline’s internship program, working with local and national environmental organizations to create opportunities that serve their mission and provide meaningful professional experiences for students. I am also Faculty Director of the Eckerd College Community Farm, a 1-acre sustainable “liberal arts farm” on campus, where I facilitate the farm’s educational and community outreach programs.