About Joel

I am a human-environment geographer who conducts transdisciplinary research and teaching on political ecology, development geographies, the human dimensions of climate change and natural hazards. Specifically, my research investigates relationships between landscape change, natural resource governance, and societal inequalities with a focus on Indigenous and front-line communities in Latin America. I am currently focused on three core research topics: 1) the flood-drought-fire nexus and its impacts on social-ecological systems in threatened forest lands; 2) relationships between rapid frontier development, impacts of climate change, and the outcomes of adaptation and mitigation initiatives; 3) the effects of adaptive Indigenous territorial stewardship practices on biocultural conservation. My work is rooted in qualitative social science and public political ecology but transgresses traditional disciplinary boundaries through diverse mixed-methods and engaged in-situ research with front-line communities, human rights advocates, policy makers, and scientists. To date, much of that work has focused on the Gran Chaco and Amazon Forests of South America. Interested graduate students should contact me with a brief email detailing: 1) interest in CSU HDNR, 2) specific research goals for graduate degree; and 3) a current CV/resume. Note, that I do not currently have funding for new students but will gladly support external proposals for funding. I am always interested to talk with students who seek to work in the Gran Chaco, Paraguay, the Amazon, or the US desert southwest (including Colorado).

Website Google Scholar Profile CV

Interests

  • Political Ecology
  • Frontier development -- infrastructure, agricultural exports, water quality & access
  • Deforestation drivers, dynamics, and impacts
  • Climate Change -- adaptation, mitigation, justice
  • Social dimensions of disaster
  • Rights & the environment -- specifically Indigenous rights, land rights, biocultural rights
  • Conservation social science
  • Social-ecological systems
  • Transdisciplinary research
  • Qualitative & mixed-methods
  • Latin America -- particularly the Gran Chaco & Amazonia

Education

PhD, Geography - University of Colorado, Boulder
Boulder, Colorado, 2017

MA, Latin American Studies - University of Arizona
Tucson, Arizona, 2012

BA, Geography - Humboldt State University
Arcata, California, 2004

AA, Liberal Arts and Sciences - College of the Redwoods
Eureka, California, 2000

Awards, Honors, Grants

  • Warner College of Natural Resources Team Award: The Just Social-Ecological Transformations in Latin America Program, 2024
  • Conference of Latin American Geography Ascendent Award for Early Career Excellence, 2024
  • Warner College of Natural Resources Outstanding Publication: "Disrupting the patrón: Indigenous land rights and the fight for environmental justice in Paraguay's Chaco", 2024
  • Political Ecology Society -- Eric Wolf Prize (with co-author Marcelo Santos Rocha da Silva), 2022
  • National Science Foundation, Dynamics of Integrated Socio-Environmental Systems Grant -- Resilient Socio-Environmental Systems: Indigenous Territories in the Face of Change, Co-PI, 2021-2025
  • Fulbright Scholar, Flex Award -- Building the future: Infrastructure development, climate change, and environmental justice in Paraguay's Chaco, 2021-2023
  • Consortium of Latin American Studies Programs Junior Faculty Teaching Award, 2021
  • American Council of Learned Societies Fellow, 2021
  • University of Florida International Educator of the Year Award, 2020

Memberships

  • American Association of Geographers
  • Global Environments Network
  • Conference of Latin Americanist Geographers
  • Latin American Studies Association

Web Links

JSET Program