Doctoral Students

Focal Department: Sociology

Originally from the state of Massachusetts, I’ve lived a nomadic life, traveled to all 48 continental US states, subsisting on odd jobs and the proceeds of my creative endeavors.Fun? Yes. Difficult? Very.

Eventually, I left the road to attend the Community College of Rhode Island, where I focused on photography and literature.

I later earned my B.A. in English from Rhode Island College and my M.A. in English from Oregon State University. Here at UO, my primary areas of research are indigenous ecologies, cross-cultural environmental justice coalitions, and the way these subjects are covered and created through traditional and new media public discourses. Currently, I am especially interested in the experiences of “non-status”, “unrecognized”, or partially “recognized” indigenous people such as the Winnemem Wintu, Ohlone and many others who struggle for protection of traditional relationships, resources and identity.

Focal Department: Philosophy

My research interests encompass the social, cultural, and philosophical factors that influence how we relate to the natural world. More specifically, I am interested in the phenomenology of place, metaphors and narratives of nature, and the relationship between social and cultural change. My B.A. in Interdisciplinary Studies at UC Berkeley drew on various disciplines in the social sciences and humanities (e.g. anthropology, sociology and philosophy) in an attempt to investigate the ways in which Western culture understands and reasons about its environment. My M.A. in Environmental Ethics at The University of North Texas continued this line of research, focusing more particularly on the philosophical (especially phenomenological) aspects of the human relationship to place. I have work experience in environmental education (I love introducing youth to the natural world), and my nonacademic interests include birding, backpacking, mushroom hunting, gardening, and spending quality time with my wife Jen.

Focal Department: Sociology

Research Interests: Marine conservation in developing countries, human dimensions, veterinary medicine

When people ask where I’m from, I never know how to answer. My life started out on the east coast where I grew up in New Jersey. Then I headed to the west coast where I received a B.S. in 2002 from Humboldt State University, Arcata, California. My majors were marine biology and zoology with a minor in women’s studies and a veterinary medicine focus. After taking some time off to travel, I headed to the Gulf coast to earn an M.S. in Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences from Texas A&M University. My Master’s research was conducted in New Zealand, so I also lived there for 9 months.
My research experience has mostly been in conservation and behavioral ecology in the form of field studies on marine mammals. I have studied grey whales and harbor seals in California, right whales in South Carolina, sperm whales in the Gulf of Mexico, and dusky dolphins in New Zealand. I also have a long-standing interest in traveling, human culture, and psychology.
For my dissertation, I’m interested in the encouragement of sustainable use of marine resources in developing countries in such a way as to include locals in the policy-making process and provide jobs for them. I am a seasoned traveler and have spent a good deal of time in developing countries, particularly in SE Asia, southern Africa, and Central America. The stunning natural resources and rich cultural diversity of these countries have led to my desire to find a way to preserve both.
Aside from traveling, I enjoy running, biking, hiking, backpacking trips, horseback riding, surfing, swimming, SCUBA diving, and dancing. After a few years on flat land, I’m really excited to return to the mountains

Focal Department: English

Adviser:

Concentration areas: Ecology and Geography

My research and teaching are currently focused on the forms that toxicity takes in the contemporary world (including radioactive waste, e-waste, pesticides, and endocrine disruptors) as well as the forms that represent it in environmental narratives and popular culture (what ecocritic Lawrence Buell calls «toxic discourse»). I am particularly interested in how we treat and think about landscapes that have been irrevocably scarred by military and industrial activities. My comprehensive exam project will focus on the environmental and ethical implications of converting former nuclear sites into wildlife refuges.

The work I have done so far at UO has helped me to develop my interests in 19th and 20th century American literature, environmental justice ecocriticism, indigenous environmental movements, community ecology, food politics, ecological collapse, and the Hanford nuclear site. I enjoy thinking about what it means to do truly «interdisciplinary» work that takes multiple perspectives, methodologies and theoretical lenses into account.

When left to my own devices, I enjoy reading Alice Munro stories, sleeping near the banks of the Metolius River, trying new recipes, studying William L. Sullivan’s hiking guides, listening to fiddle music, and playing with dogs and children. My heroines include Patricia Nelson Limerick and Rebecca Solnit.

I’m interested in sharing ideas and syllabi with other teachers of Environmental Studies (especially those who specialize in the environmental humanities) so please get in touch if you’re interested in a pedagogical swap.

Previous degrees:
B.A., Kenyon College, English and Biology
M.A., University of Oregon, English

Courses taught:
WR 121: College Composition I
WR 122: College Composition II
ENVS 203: Intro Environmental Studies: Humanities
ENVS 411: The Hanford Nuclear Site: Environmental Disaster in the American West

Courses for which I have been a TA:
ENVS 201: Intro Environmental Studies: Social Sciences
ENVS 202: Intro Environmental Studies: Natural Sciences
BI 132: Animal Behavior
BI 140: Science, Politics and Biology

Coming soon, to an ENVS program near you:
ENVS 411: Living in a Toxic World (academic year 2010-2011)

Focal Department: Political Science

Although I am originally from Ohio, my interests have led me across the country and around the world. I graduated in 2011 from St. Mary’s College of Maryland with a B.A. in environmental studies, biology, and public policy. In Maryland, I taught elementary students about the Chesapeake Bay while organizing college environmental activists. I have also implemented a beach monitoring program along the coast of Olympic National Park through the SCA, developed a campaign against mountaintop removal coal mining with Ohio Citizen Action, wrote lesson plans and snorkeled for NOAA on the island of Maui, and conducted research for the National Environment Agency of The Gambia while I was studying abroad. My undergraduate thesis focused on foreign aid to Africa and its effect on the ecological crises of that continent. All of these experiences have culminated in my interest in international environmental policy and sustainable development in Africa. At the University of Oregon, I hope to continue this research. During my free time, I enjoy reading, hiking, and baking gluten-free cupcakes.

Focal Department: English

A native of Lancaster, Pennsylvania, I’ve spent most of my adult life at St. Mary’s College of Maryland, which is located in Historic St. Mary’s City, on the banks of the St. Mary’s River in St. Mary’s County. The location made up for its lack of name diversity by excellently accommodating my obsessions with fishing, kayaking, sailing and otherwise being outdoors near some water. Other penchants I bring cross country are good coffee, books, birding and biking. My BA is in English; after graduating I worked coordinating sustainable initiatives at my alma mater, such as starting a small organic-practice farm, energy efficiency programs and environmental education, and I have also worked registering voters. My research interests focus on the ways “environmental” issues are identified, misidentified or not identified, and portrayed in mass media and literature. Fueled by my travels in Africa and South America especially, I am also interested in the effects of so called “eco-tourism” on the Global South, and sustainable development.

http://pages.uoregon.edu/emarkowi

Focal Department: Psychology

Broadly speaking, I am interested in the intersection of environmental conservation, psychology, communications research and policy. While I work on a diverse set of research topics, all of them tie into my underlying interest in the relationship between human behavior and environmental degradation. Currently, I am examining a number of research questions, including: How do individuals think about others’ environmentally-relevant actions? What roles do empathic connection to nature and «green guilt» play in driving various ’proenvironmental behaviors’? How do (infra)structural and psychological factors interact to affect school travel decisions of parents? How do basic social psychological processes affect information seeking behavior regarding complex social issues, especially climate change? What are the physiological consequences of thinking about climate change? I utilize a variety of theoretical and methodological approaches in addressing these questions.

Focal Department: Geography

Like many of the environmental studies students, I’ve got a somewhat eclectic background. I grew up in the suburbs of Cleveland and then headed off to England to do my undergraduate degree in Art History. After a series of post-graduation jobs that included being a hotel concierge in Miami, a coffee shop manager in Washington and a bartender in Mexico, I settled into a career at a New York auction house as an appraiser and authenticator of paintings. Early in 2003, my growing concern over environmental issues and America’s involvement in the world caused me to reassess my situation and take a different course.
I joined the Peace Corps as an environmental volunteer and moved from the Upper East Side of Manhattan to the Southern Highlands of Tanzania. I taught a variety of gardening, farming and nutrition practices that were aimed at making my small rural village healthier and more self-sustaining while reducing its impact on the wilderness that surrounded it. After serving two years in one village I signed on for a one year extension in which I worked with eight remote villages that were scattered throughout a protected rainforest in the Usambara mountains.
My interests lie primarily in the preservation of wilderness areas in the developing world and in finding practical and positive ways to reduce the environmental impact of poor, rural communities that often share the same space. I do not like pina coladas, but love getting caught in the rain, which is great for life in Oregon.