Research Experience

Synthesized notes from 2020 Environmental Justice in Pennsylvania Virtual Symposium, researched environmental injustices within three geographical regions to be displayed on an ArcGIS story map.

Throughout my Food Studies capstone, I worked on an individual research project addressing access to healthy and local produce, equity, and inclusivity at  farmers markets, in an attempt to investigate the potential for farmers markets to be used as a tool and site for food justice efforts in the future.

As a Baird Sustainability Honors Fellow, I worked collaboratively with team to conduct a vulnerability and adaptation assessment for Cumberland County, PA. I was tasked with researching the Forests & Ecosystems sector of the report, which synthesizes future climate change impacts and threats locally and provides potential solution/adaptation strategies to overcome them. This report was publicly presented to the Cumberland County Planning Department.

For my senior capstone in Environmental Studies, I conducted a literature review of local and municipal single-use plastics legislation and surveyed public attitudes of residents in Carlisle, PA on a single-use plastics phaseout in the form of a plastic bag ban or fee. I also designed educational materials for the Carlisle Borough and summarized survey results to inform their policy decision.

This research was conducted through my Research Methods & Civic Engagement class for community partners and the PA Department of Environmental Protection's (DEP), Office of Environmental Justice. Our research focused on the climate equity implications of PA’s entrance into the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) and sought to document past injustices, community air quality concerns, and innovations in using emissions trading revenue to target air pollution reduction in environmental injustice communities. Final findings were presented to the DEP. I was tasked with a partner to create an infographic for the DEP and general public to visually communicate what RGGI is to a wider audience and how it can benefit vulnerable PA communities.

Researched the life of culinary anthropologist and author Vertamae Smart-Grosvenor and her involvement in the Black Arts and Power Movements in the US and France, assembled bibliography of works, assisted in drafting a conference paper for submission to food studies conference centering on authenticity and place.