I am fascinated by the political ecology and economy of land use and climate change—specifically, the mechanisms by which institutional arrangements are developed, what consequences they might have on the landscape, and what these changes mean for resource-dependent livelihoods. My work currently focuses on climate change adaptation policies as direct drivers of land use change in California and abroad, and how international bilateral and multilateral agreements create new spaces for land use conversion. I believe that emerging challenges associated with environmental change and globalization span disciplinary boundaries and necessitate interdisciplinary methodologies to better our understanding of biophysical, social, and political-economic dimensions. I enjoy exploring emerging methods and currently utilize a suite of theoretical frameworks and tools, such as remote sensing, qualitative studies, and various types of modeling. Prior to beginning my PhD at UC Berkeley, my MS thesis work examined community-based forest management policies and the aggregate effects that decentralization, socioeconomic variables, and individual attitudes have on the forested landscape in the buffer zone of Chitwan National Park, Nepal.
