My book, Reconstructing Sustainability Science, is available now! Please see the Book tab above for more information.

I am an Assistant Professor of Urban Civic Ecology at Portland State University’s Nohad A. Toulan School of Urban Studies and Planning. I am also a Faculty Fellow with the Institute for Sustainable Solutions, an Associated Faculty of the Ecosystem Services in Urbanizing Regions IGERT program, and an Affiliate at the Consortium for Science, Policy and Outcomes (CSPO), Arizona State University.

It is widely assumed that a crucial component of addressing sustainability challenges is the ability of society to develop scientific and technological solutions to pressing global problems. Largely ignored, however, is how a better understanding of the human, social and political dimensions of science and technology (S&T) can improve our understanding of sustainability problems and policy efforts to address them. My research fills this gap, exploring how S&T solutions shape and are shaped by the discourses and practices of sustainability. I explore how scientific and technological projects related to urban sustainability are framed and contested by various actors and institutions and how such analyses can contribute to the exploration of alternative pathways for socio-technical systems to advance sustainable outcomes. My research approach is interdisciplinary, grounded in science and technology studies (STS), science and technology policy, environmental politics and policy, sustainability science and qualitative methods.

Prior to joining PSU, I received my Ph.D. in Sustainability from Arizona State University (where I was also a Senior Fellow in the National Science Foundation IGERT in Urban Ecology program), MPA in Environmental Science and Policy from Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs, and BA in Economics and Environmental Studies from Bucknell University.

You can find my complete CV here.

If you have any questions about my research or teaching, I am more than happy to speak with you. Please contact me. You can also follow me on Twitter. Prospective students should see Teaching & Advising.