I am an environmental anthropologist interested in the influence of the social landscape on the formation of beliefs about the environment and environmental change. My research focuses on the social and political aspects of knowledge production in the negotiation of environmental conflict.

My overall research objective is to document and understand changes occurring in natural resource-dependent communities, particularly changes in beliefs about nature and the governance of natural resources. I have also conducted fieldwork in Mexico, Peru, and the Kavango-Zambezi region of southern Africa. Past projects have explored community-based natural resource management, parks and protected areas, ecotourism, and the impacts of socionatural disaster on rural livelihoods.

 

I am currently a PhD student in the Department of Anthropology at the University of Florida, where I am a National Science Foundation IGERT Fellow in the Adaptive Management of Water, Wetlands, and Watersheds program. I earned my MA in Anthropology at the University of Florida in 2008, and I hold a BA in Anthropological Sciences from Stanford University (2002). I am originally from Oregon, where I have worked in community-based watershed restoration and natural areas management.

Teaching

Spring 2008: Co-Instructor, EES 4932: Water, Environment, and Society

Fall 2008: Teaching Assistant, ANT 2410: Introduction to Cultural Anthropology

I prefer that students communicate with me by email in order to schedule appointments or discuss class-related issues. I will typically respond to your message within one business day. I am available to meet with students during office hours on Wednesdays 3-4 pm. My office is Room 115 of Phelps Lab, located across Museum Road from the Welcome Center at Reitz Union.