I study land use and livelihood dynamics in agricultural frontier regions. I’m particularly interested in the ways that wealth and inequality affect land use, the problems of regulating across different scales of actors, and the tensions that arise when trying to make (environmental) policies both fair and effective. My research is situated in the Amazon region of Peru and Brazil and the montane region of Western Uganda. I enjoy using both qualitative and quantitative methods and draw from training in Development Economics, Political Ecology, and Conservation Biology. I came to Wisconsin from North Carolina, where I grew up and got my undergraduate degree at UNC-Chapel Hill. I have a special fondness for salamanders, sourdough bread, gardening, and my husband Andrew. My bucket list still includes seeing the northern lights.

Where are they Now?

Assistant Professor of Geography at the Middlebury College.