Sustainability

What does sustainability mean to me?

Sustainability means maintaining a good quality of life without overtaxing our resources or the environment, while ensuring that people are treated fairly and equitably in society. The goal is to have a world worth living in, and to do so we need a healthy environment, economy, and social justice. My research overlaps with the environmental pillar of sustainability.

I am interested in research dealing with soil erosion and human-dominated landscape change, water use issues, and waste management.

In the Vermillion community, I have worked towards educating the public about climate change and recycling. As a board member of Greening Vermillion (2016-2021) I coordinated a recycling education campaign that included developing a new Recycling & Sustainability Guide and a series of videos on recycling. I currently serve on the Joint Powers Board for Clay and Yankton counties as the Vermillion citizen representative (2021-2023). This board deals with solid waste and recycling issues.