I am an interdisciplinary environmental social scientist, with training in sociological theory and methods. My research centers around collaborative forest and fire governance, environmental justice, and Indigenous stewardship and sovereignty. I draw primarily from qualitative, historical, and participatory research methods to explore structures that can empower community-based forest and fire management. As a non-Native scholar, I have been privileged to learn from and partner with Tribes and Indigenous-led organizations throughout my career, and am dedicated to supporting Indigenous sovereignty however I can. My research has engaged diverse partners including FireGeneration Collaborative, the InterTribal Timber Council, the Ecosystem Workforce Program, and the U.S. Forest Service.
My dissertation is titled "What work does fire demand? Envisioning beyond colonial land and labor relations with FireGeneration Collaborative." This project examines the historical roots of wildfire and land management labor, and engages youth wildland firefighters and fire practitioners in imagining and enacting just futures with fire in their communities.
As an educator, I am passionate about inclusive and experiential pedagogy that equips students with the skills and knowledge to navigate social, cultural, and political dimensions of land management in their future careers. I have experience teaching forestry, natural resource management, environmental studies, and sociology courses across varied formats and diverse student backgrounds.
I bring an interdisciplinary background in forest management, policy, and governance to my current sociological work. I have a B.S. in Forestry and Natural Resources from UC Berkeley, an M.S. in Forest Ecosystems and Society from Oregon State University, and an M.S. in Sociology from UO. I am a current Firefighter Type 2 and participate in collaborative ecological burning around the Willamette Valley.
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