In my teaching, research, and work as a practitioner, I focus on fostering grassroots engagement at the community level to create positive social and environmental outcomes. As faculty in the Environmental Studies Department at Antioch University New England, I teach courses on political economy, sustainability, leadership, service-learning, and project management.
I am the Associate Director of the Environmental Studies PhD program and co-direct the Institute for International Conservation, which promotes sustainable and just global conversation solutions through education, service, and research. I also direct the International Service Program that enables students to combine their master’s degree study with Peace Corps service. I work with AUNE’s Center for Climate Preparedness and Community Resilience to assist communities in preparing for and recovering from climate impacts. In the spring of 2019, I founded the Alliance for Youth Climate Leadership at AUNE, which supports the next generation of climate advocates to lead, collaborate, and innovate for a just, resilient, and thriving planet.
My research centers on supporting the voices of marginalized groups in participatory planning and decision-making. In conducting research, I rely on a participatory action research approach, working in collaboration with communities to create tangible change.
Outside of Antioch, I am also a founding board member of TerraCorps, a non-profit organization that works at the intersection of land conservation, food systems reform, and environmental justice. I earned my PhD in Environmental Studies at AUNE in 2016. Prior to joining Antioch, I held a variety of positions in the environmental field, including serving as a Peace Corps volunteer in the Republic of Armenia.
