I work at the intersection of environmental, political and cultural sociology. My research focuses on three broad questions. First, why do institutions, organizations, and individuals adopt practices conducive to environmental sustainability and social equity? Second, how do differences rooted in social class shape how people think about, interact with, and are affected by the natural environment? Third, what are the environmental and social implications of efforts to strengthen local food systems?

I use a range of methods and theoretical approaches to address questions connected to my core research interests. My dissertation examines the conditions under which people incorporate ethical and political views into purchasing decisions. Drawing on interviews and survey data, I argue that the social context and experiences associated with being a consumer matter as much as, if not more than, the socioeconomic resources of individuals. Working with coauthors in economics, public health, and engineering, I have published on environmental inequality in developing countries and impediments to interdisciplinarity in sustainability science; I have also written on the political history of responses to climate change and agricultural reform. Currently, I am the lead survey designer on a multi-year panel study of attitudes and practices related to environmental responsibility among faculty, staff and students at a large public university. My research has been supported by the Graham Environmental Sustainability Institute, the Erb Institute for Global Sustainable Enterprise, the Rackham Graduate School, and the Princeton Environmental Institute.

Before coming to Michigan, I worked as a fundraiser for non-profit groups, a reporter, a housekeeper in backcountry Alaska, and an ecological field assistant in northern Arizona. I hold a master's degree in political science from Princeton University and a bachelor's degree from the University of Chicago.
 
Please visit the rest of my website, or download my C.V., for more  information on all aspects of my academic work.