Welcome to my website!

I am an environmental social scientist whose research broadly focuses on conservation issues, climate adaptation, and community resilience in the United States and Mexico. In addition, I strive to incorporate a justice perspective into all my community engagement through documenting local barriers to adaptation and the disparities that can emerge in the planning, implementation, and aftermath of the conservation or resilience programs that target people and communities.

To achieve these research goals, my work draws from interdisciplinary and participatory socio-ecological methods that involve extensive immersion into study sites. This longer-term engagement facilitates opportunities to construct the personal relationships necessary for effectively conducting in-depth interviews, focus groups, and workshops for documenting the local perspectives of community needs and of the programs and initiatives that impact their lives. The qualitative understanding constructed through local voices can then serve as a foundation for framing research questions and the subsequent extension efforts for building adaptive capacity.

Currently, I am serving the United States Geological Survey as an American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Science & Technology Policy Fellow. My placement within the Natural Hazards Mission Area is focused on promoting equity considerations in national risk reduction and community resilience efforts.

Please find my CV below.