Expertise

Landscape Degradation, Complex Social-Ecological Systems, Irrigation, Agriculture

Additional Info

I focus on human-environment geography, particularly as it relates to the management of natural resources in an increasingly interconnected world. My specific interest within this broad area of geography centers around understanding land degradation connected to global trade from the context of the political/cultural systems that guide resource use. As disparate areas of the world have forged closer economic and political ties, the manner in which localized resources are managed and the environment is impacted have changed with growing global demands. Perhaps no sector of the international economy could be said to be in more direct exchange with the natural environment than agriculture. Reliant on the endowment of natural resources and the application of human ingenuity, agriculture directly modifies the environment and is in turn modified by the resulting impacts. The expansive spatial extent inherent in many types of agriculture is also distinctive among human land-uses and reinforces its importance to understanding human-environment relations.

Teaching Expertise and Interests

STEM teaching and learning, online education, visualization and interactive learning, community-engaged teaching