About Me
I am a conservation social scientist. I obtained my B.S. in Zoology from Michigan State University, and am currently pursuing my PhD in Natural Resources & the Environment, along with a minor in Feminist, Gender, & Sexuality Studies, at Cornell University. I am a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellow and a Cornell Sloan Fellow.
An emerging scholar in feminist political ecology and environmental justice, my work examines the gender dimensions of conservation with a focus on the illegal wildlife trade (IWT), green militarization, and conservation (in)justice. I grounds her work in critical feminist epistemologies so as to promote more gender-aware and socially-just conservation strategies. My dissertation looks at the gendered implications of conservation violence in and around Botswana’s Chobe National Park, along with the broader Kavango-Zambezi (KaZa) Transfrontier Conservation Area.
In my free time, you can find me drinking a cinnamon oat milk latte with my book at a cafe or snuggling with my two cats, Lizzo and Snuggles.
Education
Cornell University
PhD in Natural Resources & the Environment, expected 2026
Graduate Minor in Feminist, Gender & Sexuality Studies
- Major Field: Human Dimensions of Natural Resource Management
- Minor Fields: African Studies, Feminist, Gender & Sexuality Studies
Michigan State University
B.S. Zoology, 2021
- Focus in Conservation Criminology & Public Policy
Research Interests
Gendered Dimensions of Militarized Conservation
Militarized conservation (i.e. shoot-on-site policies) can have both social and ecological effects. These effects can be felt by women both directly and indirectly. However, the impact of militarized conservation on women has received little investigation. Through understanding the intersections of gender, nationality, and class, it is possible to evaluate the deeper social impacts of militarized conservation.
My doctoral and current research focuses on the ways in which conservation creates gendered geographies of violence which further marginalize women. This research seeks to inform conservation initatives to be both gender-aware and socially just.
Current projects include:
- Global assessment of ranger casualties in relation to protected areas.
- Qualitative investigation into the gender impacts of conservation violence on women in Botswana.
Critical Environmental Justice:
Local & International Perspectives
Environmental injustices impact communities around the world, but achieving environmental justice requires tailored, culturally-aware, and intersectional approaches. Critical environmental justice allows for deep interrogation into the ways that individuals' exposure to environmental injustices is connected to their intersecting identities.
Current projects include:
- Climate justice and urban heat reduction initiatives in New York City burroughs.
- Maternal caregiving and the Flint Water Crisis.
- Critical environmental justice analysis of harm reduction.
Conservation Justice
Justice is a critical component of ethical conservation and can serve as a counter to colonial manifestations. Pursuing justice within conservation practice, however, involves an active recognition of violent legacies, an innate awareness of intersectionality, and a culutral-awareness of human-environment relationships.
Current projects include:
- Theoretical thinkpiece on the relationship between conservation and white supremacy.
- A guide on practicing socially-just and gender-aware conservation
- Cultural awareness as a necessary component of human-wildlife conflict and coexistince.
