University of Florida

Alumnus, School of Natural Resources and Environment

Thesis Title: Navigating the power dynamics of learning and communication in collaborative resource management: Research to inform practice

About

I work at the interface of science, sustainability and civic engagement. My interdisciplinary training integrates watershed management, collaborative learning, decision-making and intercultural communication. I'm an experienced facilitator, who has worked with diverse groups of researchers, government officials, NGOs and citizens in natural resource planning and management.

My research focuses on how diverse stakeholders negotiate different views of uncertainty and complexity as they manage for social-ecological resilience. I use qualitative methods, such as critical discourse analysis, narrative inquiry and participatory action research, to study learning and decision-making. I am particularly interested in how my research can ease tensions between local and expert knowledge and encourage civic engagement in complex issues.

I have taught college courses in conflict management and collaboration, qualitative research methods and botany. In agricultural extension, I have also taught workshops in plant ecology, vegetation monitoring, adaptive grazing management and conservation planning.