About Me

I earned my Ph.D in Ecology from the Environment, Ecology and Energy Program at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. My community-based research focuses on the intersection of race, social vulnerability, the environment, and the movement of water - including both excess water (flooding) and the lack thereof (drought).

My areas of focus in research, teaching, and service center are: Environmental Justice, Race and Disasters, Qualitative methods, and Diversity and Equity. In my research, I seek to understand the different ways marginalized communities advocate against vulnerability-making processes from outside influences and top-down “solutions.”  In the environmental classes I teach, I ask students to identify other ways their identities -visible or invisible – contribute to how they understand and respond to different environmental issues. In my advocacy, I focus on the ways in which the resources or privileges I have can be best used by others in their community struggles.

My dissertation examines the movement of excess water after hurricanes (flooding) along social, political, and historical lines in Robeson County. Using ethnographic methods, such as semi-structured interviews, participant observation, and Photovoice, the project emphasizes the entanglement of hurricanes, natural disaster recovery and grassroots organizing. The dissertation centers African-American and Lumbee Native Americans' lived experiences after Hurricanes Matthew (2016) and Florence (2018).

I'm also an avid dog-lover, a proud Scorpio and love interior decorating - well, watching Fixer Upper...=)