Students

Please note that since I am moving into retirement as of May 2022 and intend to create space for the next generation to be hired (!) I am not recruiting to supervise more students or postdocs.  

At the University of Arizona I have supervised Masters and Doctoral students and sat on PhD committees through the School of Geography, Development and Environment (SGDE) (http://geography.arizona.edu). 

The University of Arizona is a good choice for those interested in political ecology, Latin America, water, climate impacts, adaptation and/or Latin America and border issues (with several geography faculty and many others across campus in those areas).

There are lots of wonderful faculty at Arizona who are potential supervisors and committee members for students interested in climate, water, political ecology, Latin America or human-environment.  In SGD these include Jeff Banister, Carl Bauer, Andrew Curley, Tom Evans, Andrea Gerlak, Liz Oglesby, Katherine Snyder, Jon Sullivan, Beth Tellman, Margaret Wilder, Adriana Zuniga and physical geographers Kevin Anchukaitis, Andrew Comrie, Greg Barron-Gafford, and Connie Woodhouse.  In the School of Natural Resources and Environment (SNRE) colleagues with human environment and climate interests include Jim Buizer, Gregg Garfin, and Don Falk.

e. Applications and funding

Information on applying to the graduate programs in the School of Geography, Development and Environment can be found here: https://geography.arizona.edu/graduate-overview  

Entry is very competitive (we only admit about 10-20% of applicants) and your application needs to show all round excellence.  In terms of funding most entering students are supported as teaching assistants (for undergraduate geography courses) or research assistants on various projects.  In both cases you are expected to work 20 hours a week, your tuition is covered and you earn about $9000 a semester (depending on your position).  

Former Students (for whom I was the supervisor)

Masters

Laura Pulido. M.A. 1987. Geography. University of Wisconsin. "Farmworkers perceptions of pesticide hazards in Kern county, California." (Professor of Geography, University of Oregon)

Altha Cravey. M.A. 1988. Geography. University of Wisconsin. "Social indicators in Mexico." (Associate Professor of Geography, University of North Carolina)

Rebecca Johns. MS. 1988. Geography, University of Wisconsin, Office automation and the temporary female worker (Associate Professor of Geography, University of South Florida)

Lauren Johnson. MS 1989. Land Resources, University of Wisconsin. Drought and Wisconsin Agriculture. 

Karen O' Brien. MSc. 1989. University of Wisconsin. Environmental Studies. "The possible impacts of global warming in Mexico." (went on to PhD see below)

Mary Jackson. MS. 1990. Land Resources, University of Wisconsin. Inside the Fenceline: The differences between alternative and conventional farms.

Ed Arabas. MS 1993. Geography. The Pennsylvania State University. "Land Use Change in Mexico." (Planner, State of Washington)

Chris Rosin. MS. 1993. Geography. The Pennsylvania State University. "Agricultural transitions in Costa Rica." (Deputy Director, Centre for Sustainability, U Otago)

Graeme Burt. MA 1996. Geography. The Pennsylvania State University. “Land use change in Alamos, Sonora." (planningAlliance, Canada)

Janice Rosenberg. MA 1997. Latin American Studies. University of Arizona. "Environmental Education amongst the Seri of Sonora" (Teacher, Boston)

Katrin Neubeuer. MA 1997. Latin American Studies. University of Arizona. "Driving forces for tropical deforestation in Mexico: Ejido and land use changes in Marques de Comillas, Chiapas, Mexico." (NGO, Germany)

Megan Bartlett. MA 1998. Latin American Studies. University of Arizona (NGO, Minneapolis)

Joanna Tucker. MA 1998. Latin American Studies. University of Arizona (postdoc Univ Florida)

Ane Schjolden. MA 1999. Geography and Regional Development. University of Arizona (Beth Mitchnek, co-supervisor). "Globalization, Liberalization and Restructuring of the Brazilian telecommunications industry: the end of technological capability." (Norway, Forum for Environment and Development)

Hallie Eakin. MA 1998. University of Arizona. Geography and Regional Development.  "Adaptation to climatic variability in Tlaxcala, Mexico: constraints and opportunities for small-scale maize producers" (went on to PhD see below)

Lucy Stanfield. MA 1999. University of Arizona, Geography and Regional Development. (EPA, Chicago)

Kimi Eisele. MA 1999. University of Arizona. Geography and Regional Development.  "Landscapes of Solidarity: The children of Colonia Solidaridad, Nogales, Sonora."(writer/artist Tucson).

Laura Paulson. MA 1999. Latin American Studies. University of Arizona. "Globalization and survival of the smallholder: the role of agricultural restructuring in land use change in Michoacan, Mexico." (Nature Conservancy, Mexico) 

Annika Hipple. MA 2000. Latin American Studies, University of Arizona. “Environment and the media in Mexico” (writer and tour leader, Vermont)

Erika Trigoso. MA 2002. University of Arizona, Department of Geography and Regional Development. “ Vulnerability and response to El Niño in Piura, Peru” (went on to PhD, see below).

Jeanine Valcour, MA 2003. University of Arizona, Latin American Studies. “Climate change vulnerability in Belize.” (NGO, Boston)

Karen Suasanna, MSc 2004. Oxford.  Social movements and recycling in Sao Paulo, Brasil. (Programme Officer, Oak Foundation)

Ghinwa Chammas, MSc 2004. Oxford, Education for Life: The effect of Climate Change Education at School on People’s Perception of Climate Change (Sustainability consultant, Atkins inc.)

Carolina Fuentes, MSc 2004. Oxford. CDM in Mexico. (Mexico, Energy Ministry)

Katherine Meehan, MSc 2005. Oxford. Streamlining the state? Power, decentralisation, and water at work in Guatemala.  (Senior Lecturer Kings College London)

Anthony Knox, MSc 2005, Oxford. An economic valuation of the Loreto Bay National Park.  (Vice President, Standard Bank, Johannesburg)

Heidi Hausermann, MSc 2005. Arizona. The Coffee Crisis and Land Use change in Veracruz. (Associate Professor, Colorado State)

Blanca Raymundo Garcia. Msc 2006. Oxford. The potential for Clean Development Mechanism projects in the Mexican industrial sector: a case study of the cement industry.  (Consultant, Mexico)

Sapna Thottathil. MSc 2006. Oxford.  Fairtrade's Carbon Emissions: What's Its Share, and Do People Care? (Associate Director for Sustainability, University of California)

Johannes Ebeling. Msc 2006. Oxford. Tropical deforestation and climate change – Ways towards an international mitigation strategy. (Investment Director, Biocarbon Group, Berlin)

Hanoch  Ilsar MSc 2008. Oxford. Voluntary Caron Offsetting: Friend or Foe? What Role Do Businesses Assign to Voluntary Carbon Offsetting as Part of Their Climate Change Agenda? (An exploration into UK-based companies) (Manager, Israel Union for Ecology and Environmental Sciences)

Jonathan Gaventa. Msc 2008. Oxford. The politics of counting carbon: A London case study.  (E3G, London)

Simon Billet. MS 2009. Oxford. CDM and Wind Power in Oaxaca, Mexico. (UK Foreign Office, New York)

Kaarina Kolle. MS 2011. Oxford. Paving the Way to Preparedness the multi-level climate change adaptation governance in Trinidad and Tobago (WWF European Policy Office, Belgium)

Laura Canevari. MS 2012. Oxford. Participatory GIS for vulnerability assessment, Grenada (Acclimatize/Independent Consulutant)

Miriam Gay-Antaki, MA 2013. Univ Arizona. A Feminist Political Ecology of Carbon Markets in Oaxaca, Mexico (went on to PhD, see below)

Noah-Silber Coats, 2015, MSc, Univ of Arizona, Water development in Veracruz Mexico (went on to PhD at Univ Arizona)

Michelle Coe, 2015, MSc, Univ of Arizona, Environmental education and school gardens in Tucson (Community and School Gardens Program, University of Arizona)

James Cunningham 2020 MA. Evaluating climate adaptation in California Instructor, GIST, University of Arizona.

Diego Ariel Martinez-Lugo (co-with Tracey Osborne). MA. Barrio environmental justice in Tucson. Instructor, Pima College.

PhD

Maxx Dilley. PhD. 1993. Geography. The Pennsylvania State University. "Climate and agriculture in Oaxaca, Mexico." (Senior Advisor WMO)

Karen O'Brien. Ph.D. 1996. Geography. The Pennsylvania State University. "Deforestation and Climate Change in the Selva Lacandona, Chiapas, Mexico."  (Professor in Geography, University of Oslo, Norway)

Anke Wessels-Beyer. PhD 1995. Geography. The Pennsylvania State University "Social and Environmental Reconstruction in Eastern Germany." (Program Director, Center for Religion, Ethics and Social Policy, Cornell University)

David Rain. Ph.D. 1997. Geography. The Pennsylvania State University. "Eaters of the Dry Season." (Associate Professor, George Washington University)

Margaret Wilder. PhD 2002. University of Arizona, Department of Geography and Regional Development. “In name only: water policy, the state and ejidatario producers in Northern Mexico”. (Professor of Geography and Latin American Studies, University of Arizona)

Hallie Eakin. PhD 2002. University of Arizona, Department of Geography and Regional Development. “Rural Households’ Vulnerability and Adaptation to Climatic Variability and Institutional Change: Three Cases from Central Mexico”. (Professor of Sustainability, ASU)

Mrill Ingram, PhD 2004. University of Arizona, Department of Geography and Regional Development. “Experts in the field: the contributions of farmers and other lay experts to knowledge about soil in US agriculture” (Center for Integrated Agricultural Systems, Madison WI and writer))

Dereka Rushbrook, PhD 2005. Arizona. Carving a Niche: Artisans in a Global Economy. Commodity Chain Analysis of Rustic Pine Furniture in Mexico (Associate Professor of Geography and Development, University of Arizona)

Cecilia Conde, PhD, 2005, UNAM. Climate and agriculture in Mexico (researcher, UNAM, Mexico)

Lydia Breunig. PhD 2006. Arizona. Conservation in Context: Establishing Natural Protected Areas During Mexico's Neoliberal Reformation (Teacher, Ecole de Humanite, Switzerland)

Ben Champion. DPhil 2007. Oxford. Political economy of local foods in Eastern Kansas (Law Clerk for Evan Allach, Washington DC)

John Gates. DPhil 2007. Oxford. Groundwater recharge and paleohydrology of the Badain Jaran, north-western China.  (cosupervised with Mike Edmunds) (Senior Scientist and Research Manager at The Climate Corporation San Francisco, California)

Adam Bumpus. PhD 2009. Oxford Carbon Development: a political ecology analysis of carbon offset projects for local development and global climate benefits  (Chief Energy Officer, IOEN Tech and Senior Research Fellow, Univ Melbourne)

John Cole. PhD 2009 Oxford Clean Development Mechanism (CDM): Foreign investment in sustainable infrastructure in developing countries CDM in Brazil. (Lawyer, Canada)

Antony Milner. PhD 2010. Oxford Managing climate risk in the developing world: Information and Insurance. (cosupervised with Richard Washington) (Senior Research Fellow, Grantham Research Institute, LSE)

Alex Noriega Guerra. PhD 2010.  Oxford Weather-related disaster risk in mountain areas: The Guatemalan highlands at the start of the 21st Century. (Director, Climate Institute, Guatemala)

Natasha Kuruppu. PhD 2010. Oxford Climate Change and Variability in the Pacific Region: Piloting Adaptation Strategies to Facilitate Sustainable Development in the Water Sector of Kiribati. (Curtin University, Australia)

Bernado Peredo. PhD 2010.  Oxford Biodiversity, local development and poverty alleviation in Bolivia in a market economy: Irreconcilable Differences or Windows of Opportunity?  (Consultant, Bolivia)

Dave Stainforth. PhD 2010. Oxford Climate risk (second supervisor to Mark New). Senior Research Fellow LSE.

Katherine Wilkinson. PhD 2010.  Oxford 'God-made' Heaven and Earth... 'Man-made' climate change: American evangelical discourses on global climate change (writer, Exec Director, All we can save)

Alexandra Morel. PhD 2010. Oxford Palm oil and land use change in SE Asia (second supervisor to Yadvinder Mahli) Postdoc, Univ Oxford.

Ame Ramos Castillo. 2010. Oxford PhD. Water governance in San Cristobal, Mexico (UNU)

Joel Scriven. PhD.  2010. Oxford Carbon forestry on an Amazonian frontier: Barriers and Opportunities. (UN FAO-REDD)

Allen Shaw. 2010. PhD. Oxford Does a coherent energy plan exist for India? (secondary supervisor to Brenda Boardman)(2 degrees, Oxford)

Erika Trigoso.  2011. PhD. Oxford Vulnerability to drought and community adaptation in the Andean high-plateau. (Lecturer U Denver)

Chris Ellerman. 2012. PhD. Oxford Cultural politics and political economy of climate policy in China (ADB, China)

Deborah Ley. 2012. PhD. Oxford Sustainable development, climate change and renewable energy in rural Central America  (Consultant)

Philip Mann. PhD. 2012. Oxford Energy planning in the developing world - synergies and trade-offs between increasing energy access for poverty reduction, energy security and climate goals. (lead supervisor, Brenda Boardman)(DEFRA UK)

Arnoldo Matus Kramer. 2012. PhD. Oxford Adaptation to Climate Change in the Tourism Sector of the Rapidly Urbanizing Yucatan Caribbean Coast  (Director of Resilience, CDMX, Mexico)

Daniel Ferguson. 2015. PhD. Trans disciplinary research to support decision making (Associate Professor of Environmental Science and director CLIMAS, University of Arizona).

Miriam Gay-Antaki, 2017. PhD.  Feminist Geographies of Climate Change: From International Negotiations to Women in Mexico.  Assistant Professor, University of New Mexico.

Christina Greene,  2019. PhD. From Drought in California to the Global Framework for Climate Services: Narratives and Lived Experiences of Climate Vulnerability.  Research Associate CLIMAS, University of Arizona

Gigi Owen. PhD. 2019. . Evaluating Effectiveness in Climate Change Adaptation and Socially-Engaged Climate Research.  Researcher CLIMAS, University of Arizona

Megan Mills-Novoa PhD. Assistant Professor, ESPM, UC Berkeley. 2021. Envisioning, Implementing, and Sustaining Climate Change Adaptation: A Multi-Scalar Study of Adaptation Projects in Ecuador. http://hdl.handle.net/10150/660208 

Pradnya Garud (co-supervised with Sapana Doshi). 2022. Rethinking Urban Agriculture: Environmental Casteism, Subjectivity, and the Labor Politics of Food Production in Mumbai.https://repository.arizona.edu/handle/10150/663093

Fiona Gladstone, 2022. Mexico's Hunger Crusade: A Political Ecology of Government Food Assistance and Community Health in Oaxaca, Mexico 2013-2018.  (Postdoc Duke University)

Current and Former postdoctoral research fellows

Lauren Gifford (Colorado State University)

Niki VonHedemann (University of Northern Arizona)

Chris Knudson (assistant professor, Univ of Hawaii-Hilo)

Tracey Osborne (associate professor, U. California, Merced)

Heike Schroeder (senior lecturer, UEA)

Max Boykoff (Professor, University of Colorado)

Heather Lovell (Reader, University of Tasmania)

Maria Carmen Lemos (Professor, University of Michigan)

Marcela Vasquez (Professor, University of Arizona)