Laurel Suter: In May, Laurel Suter successfully defended her PhD dissertation entitled “Land succession and intensification in the agricultural frontier: Sierra del Lacandón National Park, Guatemala.” The research is based on OLS and logistic regression analyses from data collected by Laurel and her able Guatemalan assistants during two years of field work interviewing over 800 respondents in a conservation area of northern Guatemala. Committee members Susan Stonich, William Pan (Duke University), and Hallie Eakin (ASU) were impressed with the large scope and detail of Laurel’s field surveys. López-Carr, whose 1998 survey in the region formed a baseline for Laurel’s longitudinal study, the first of its kind in Central America, says “Laurel is a committed scholar. Her clear and precise writing is of a high level not always seen in one who also possesses her analytical skills. Training in the biological sciences and experience in laboratory research give her a solid background of scientific knowledge and investigative practices, which has been further augmented by coursework and research experience here at UCSB. A thoughtful approach to problem-solving, authentic curiosity, positive response to constructive criticism, and good humor make her a pleasure to collaborate with.’’ López-Carr adds that Laurel’s dissertation research, accomplished with several fellowships – Boren Fellowship, a Nature Conservancy Grant, a Richardson Foundation Grant, an Affiliates Graduate Fellowship, and a Mertes Award- and modest funding from López-Carr’s NSF CNH grant, yielded great dividends for such a modest dollar investment. Indeed, Laurel’s work remains superior to some projects funded (at several hundred thousand dollars plus) by NASA, NSF, and NIH in some of the following essential aspects: sample size, analysis over time (longitudinal), depth and breadth of survey design, and the separate surveys for women. Laurel will miss Santa Barbara and her geography friends but, since January, is happily residing in Baltimore, Maryland with her husband and two dogs. We wish Laurel well in this new exciting chapter in her life.
Sam Cortez: Sam Cortez completed his MA on educational and occupational aspirations of young people (13-18) in the Imperial Valley, CA in the context of global economic transformations such as NAFTA. Sam’s advisor, Stuart Aitken, is particularly impressed with Sam’s ability to express observations from the field in clear, authentic prose. UCSB faculty sponsor López-Carr notes that “clearly one of Sam’s skills is his ability to connect with and understand the US and Mexican cultural identities of his interview collaborators.’’ We wish Sam well in his PhD endeavors and look forward to seeing more good work from him.
Nicole-Marie Cotton: Nicole-Marie Cotton was awarded a grant for fieldwork from The Vivian Finch Latin American Fund to research sustainable development in Afro-Mexican Communities in Costa Chica, Oaxaca, Mexico. Costa Chica is home to important biological reserves. Its economy is based on eco-tourism and traditional fishing. Her research will consist of a year-long ethnographic study of Afro-Mexican communities, solidarity movements, environmental NGO representatives, and government officials to explore environmental decision-making and NGO program networks in the region.
Co-advisor Kate Swanson expresses enthusiasm for Nicole’s progress in her research while at UCSB this past year. Co-advisor David López-Carr says, “Nicole is passionate about having environmental conservation and sustainability efforts benefit all people regardless of ethnicity, place, socio-economic status, or race. She recognizes impoverished and marginalized communities are more likely to be found in unhealthy environments and to lack the resources and political visibility to stimulate positive change. Her goal is to leverage her research to advocate for communities in need. She intends to gain the analytical tools needed to inform decision-makers of existing inequalities in aid and investment among ethnic and racial minority groups. Of particular note is that Nicole aims to use her research to open avenues for ethnic and racial minority groups to partner with, and benefit from, environmental conservation movements.” Such partnerships have, to date, been rather infrequent.
Nicole’s initial talents and interests were developed in the biological sciences. At the American Society of Microbiology General Meeting in 2004, she presented research on the antimicrobial effects of plant nesting materials that birds bring into their nests. As a result of this meeting, her research was featured in New Scientist Magazine (U.K). These experiences have helped Nicole see how biological conservation can serve as a conduit for racial justice. In her work, she talks the language of conservation biologists as well as NGO and government policy makers. Because she is a Gates Millennium Scholar, Nicole’s tuition and fees are fully paid through graduate school completion. She was selected for the program due to her academic achievement and dedication to service. We are grateful to have had Nicole with us at UCSB geography this year, we wish her the best in her data collection in Costa Chica, and look forward to her sharing with us the rich tales she will surely accumulate during her field work.
Daniel Ervin: Daniel has been awarded a UCSB Graduate Opportunity Fellowship (GOF) for the 2012-2013 academic year, along with a Broom Center for Demography Travel Award. Daniel adds these two awards to the UC Global Health Institute (UCGHI) Center of Expertise in Migration and Health (COEMH) Research Award he and faculty advisor López-Carr received in March. The GOF “is intended to assist recipients in acquiring and developing sophisticated research skills under faculty mentorship. The fellowship’s goal is to increase the number of students who contribute to the diversity mission of the university, who persist towards the doctoral degree, and who show promise as candidates for faculty appointments. This award provides a $20,000 stipend plus the payment of in-state tuition and health insurance.”
Daniel also collected a travel award from the Broom Center for Demography to attend a research and training workshop conducted by the Center of Expertise on Migration and Health. This conference was the 7th Summer Institute on Migration and Global Health and took place from June 25-29, 2012 in Los Angeles. Ervin’s presentation was well received by the health and migration experts, whose comments provided useful fodder for further refining his work. “The Institute provides a unique forum for researchers, faculty, graduate students, postdoctoral scholars, and non-academic professionals working with migrant communities around the world to discuss a broad range of health issues that affect migrating populations.”
Daniel received a B.A. in psychology from George Washington University in 2002, after which he worked in the non-profit and public health arenas as an HIV-AIDS counselor and tester for a number of years. He then returned to school to earn his M.A. in Geography from the University of Wyoming. His research interests include Food and Culture, Medical Geography, Latin America, and Tourism. His dissertation will integrate surveys and isotope biomarkers to quantitatively measure links between changes in the diet of immigrants and resultant health effects. Regarding publications, Daniel co-authored a journal article (López-Carr, D. and D. Ervin. 2012. A Geriatric Fountain of Youth in the Caucuses or Spurious Census Data: Spooning through the Yogurt Myth. Journal of Rural Studies, 27(1): 135-148) and sole-authored a book review: Ervin, Daniel. 2013 (in press) Review of Environment and food by Colin Sage. Food, Culture, and Society.
Advisor, David López-Carr said in his letter of support for Daniel’s GOF application: “Daniel holds as much promise as any young scholar today in the health and migration studies field within geography. Daniel has the maturity, collegiality, and academic knowledge to significantly influence his important chosen area of research. He has demonstrated the ability to develop project ideas and effective methods for assessing and exploring nutritional health. He is an early career pioneer in the study of spatial patterns of coupled migration and nutrition transitions and the causes and consequences of these important and understudied health-environment dynamics. Coming from the geographic perspective, he can offer a unique approach and view towards discussing migrant health issues. His approach is innovative in that it recognizes the need to examine health and food transitions through the lens of migrants in both sending and receiving communities and in linking self reported nutrition among these communities with quantitative biological isotope data.”
Daniel comments, “I am really grateful to receive these awards in such a short period of time. I am continually impressed by the UC’s dedication to fund promising research even in light of our recent budget issues. I want to thank David Lopéz-Carr for his unwavering support of my research and my personal growth. I also want to thank Jose Saleta, who realized that I was eligible for the Graduate Opportunity Fellowship one day before the deadline and went above and beyond in helping me apply on time. As well, I want to thank Jose’s wife, Dr. Teresa Figueroa, whose letter of support was crucial in my receiving this award; Dr. Figueroa and López-Carr turned around within 12 hours successful letters of recommendation– thank you! Finally, thank you to the Broom Center for supporting this training and to UCSB Geography faculty, staff, and fellow grads for their continued support.”
Matthew Gluschankoff: Matthew Gluschankoff, who will be a third year undergraduate Environmental Studies major, works as the primary assistant for the Human-Environment Dynamics Lab. During the Spring quarter, he was awarded two scholarships for studying abroad. The first is a highly selective $3,000 UCEAP Scholarship, part of the new UCEAP Initiative which provides scholarships for University of California students to help promote studying abroad. Students of all academic backgrounds are qualified to apply. The second award is a Gilman Scholarship for which he received the maximum award amount of $5,000. Since 2001, the Gilman Scholarship Program has been providing scholarships to “U.S. citizen undergraduates who are planning to study abroad,” but “who might otherwise not participate due to financial constraints.” Matthew will attend the University of East Anglia, Norwich, England, as an exchange student in the School of International Development and School of Environmental Sciences during the 2012-2013 academic year. Matthew is excited to gain an international perspective on issues of sustainability as well as expand his knowledge of third-world development. Naturally, he is also excited to travel throughout Europe and become acquainted with the many cultures.
Matthew was also recently recognized as a contributing author for the Drivers Chapter of the United Nations Environment Programme GEO-5 Assessment Report. GEO-5 (see the July 10, 2012 article, “UCSB Geography Researchers Coauthor GEO-5 Report”). Matthew contributed to the assessment by developing demographic statistical tables and by writing a section on the benefits of prioritizing education for women in developing countries. López-Carr writes that ‘’the HED lab is very grateful to have benefited from Matt’s invaluable contributions. Matthew is mature, dedicated, hard-working, and academically advanced. Only under special circumstances would I entrust co-authorship of a document of the level of the GEO-5 to a graduate student, let alone an undergraduate. Matthew earned this role. We will miss him while away in East Anglia but note that it has one of the UK’s finest Geography Departments. We hope that Mathew may be persuaded to enter into our special space (and place)!’’
Narcisa Pricope: Dr. Pricope is a visiting researcher from Southern Oregon University working with Dr. David Lopez-Carr in the Human-Environment Dynamics Lab and Drs. Chris Funk, Joel Michaelson, and Greg Husak from the UCSB Climate Hazards Group. She has been awarded a National Science Foundation and Santander Banks-sponsored fellowship to participate in Brown International Advanced Research Institute (BIARI) on Climate Change and its Impacts: regional coupled human-natural systems and evidence-based policy making. Initiated in 2009, this major faculty development opportunity convenes high-level academic institutes each summer on the campus of Brown University in Rhode Island. Designed and run by recognized international scholars, each Institute addresses cutting-edge questions of the field, and contributes to building the transnational academic community of the next generation. The two-week Climate Change Institute brings together scholars from social, physical and life sciences. They study coupled human-natural systems at regional levels, generate possible templates for adaptation at local, national and regional levels, and provide key inputs for government and other decision-makers.
Narcisa has also been competitively selected as one of 34 new Ph.D.s working on climate change as a Dissertations Initiative for the Advancement of Climate Change Research (DISCCRS) VII Symposium Scholar. The 2012 DISCCRS is to be held in Colorado in October. The DISCCRS was established in 2001 to foster interdisciplinary understanding and collegial peer interactions across the range of disciplines associated with the study of climate change and its impacts. It is supported by grants from the NSF and NASA and co-directed by Dr. Ronald B. Mitchell, Department of Political Science and Program in Environmental Studies, University of Oregon and Dr. C. Susan Weiler, Office for Earth System Studies, Whitman College. These awards follow a successful year for Narcisa who submitted several grant proposals and publishing papers from her dissertation and submitted for publication new papers in collaboration with the HED lab and FEWS Net.
López-Carr writes, “I learned of Dr. Pricope’s research interests and work on drylands vegetation dynamics and climate change in Southern Africa at the 2010 Global Land Project Open Meeting, held in Phoenix Arizona. I invited her to contribute to the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) Global Environment Outlook GEO-5 publication on the drylands, grasslands, and savannas section. We subsequently asked her to be lead author of this section and also to contribute to the State and Trends in Wetlands section as well. She did a superlative job throughout the highly iterative writing and editing process. Following my recommendation, she was also one of only a handful of early career scholars named a UNEP Fellow for her involvement and contribution to this upcoming global survey of the state and trends of global ecosystems. Initially, she came for only 3 months to collaborate with us at UCBS but it soon became apparent that her remaining was a win-win for all involved. We are grateful for Narcisa’s having synergized group efforts between HED and FEWS and look forward to continued collaborations.”
Narcisa comments: “I am extremely grateful to have had the opportunity to work at UCSB as a visiting researcher for a year and also for the many wonderful professional development activities I have been engaged in as a result of my presence at UCSB. I would like to particularly thank Dr. David Lopez-Carr who has provided invaluable mentorship and support and has been instrumental in my being awarded a United Nations GEO-5 Fellowship, a DISCRSS Fellowship, as well as for my admission in the Brown International Advanced Research Institute this summer. I would also like to thank Dr. Chris Funk, Dr.Greg Husak, and Dr. Joel Michaelsen for their research help, funding and opportunity to work for FEWS on projects in East Africa I am so passionate about. Also, a big thanks to Amy McNally for the occasional scripting support and the UCSB Geography staff, especially Connie Padilla and Dylan Parenti, for their promptness in being of assistance when administrative or computing issues arose.”
Tamara Elwell: Tamara Elwell has been awarded several fellowships for her dissertation field work, including a Sarah’s Wish Foundation Scholarship, A Conference of Latin American Geographer’s (CLAG) dissertation field study award, and a Fulbright Fellowship. In addition, Tamara will be collaborating with her co-advisor Professor Lopez-Carr and several other co-PIs from UCSB and Chile on Lopez-Carr’s Pacific-Rim Research Grant (see the May 8 article, “López-Carr Awarded Faculty Initiative Grant from the Pacific Rim Research Program”).
According to their website, “Sara’s Wish Foundation scholarships are awarded to extraordinary young women committed to making the world a better place by fully participating in it.’’ Criteria for the scholarship include commitment to public service, a strong record of scholarship, and a history of leadership experience. In her letter to Tamara, Wendy Kohler of Sara’s Wish writes, “this award is well-deserved. You are a remarkable young woman. I also particularly appreciated your sensitivity to the work of the foundation.’’ Similarly, Taylor Mack, CLAG chair writes to Tamara, “You are the first person to get the ‘Robert C. West CLAG Field Study Award’ at the PhD level.” The CLAG awards are highly competitive with many students applying for a handful of annual awards. According to the CLAG website, Tamara is the only two-time winner, having garnered the award to complete fieldwork for her MA thesis in 2010. Tamara plans to use the CLAG, Sara’s Wish Foundation, and Pacific Rim Grant funding to conduct pilot surveys with coastal communities in Chile during our summer and fall of 2012.
While the CLAG and Sara’s Wish fellowships will provide crucial support for Tamara’s travel and residence in the field, the piece de resistance in Tamara’s highly successful year of proposal writing is a Fulbright Award to conduct her dissertation field research from March to November of 2013 in Chiloé, an archipelago in southern Chile noted for its exceptional biodiversity and artisanal fisher cultural heritage. Tamara is the 4th (of hopefully many more!) Fulbright Fellowship awarded to HED lab geographers. Fulbright awards are highly competitive, especially for popular research destinations such as Chile. According to the Chilean Fulbright office, the agency is dedicated to advance leadership and excellence. Yunuén Varela Velasco, U.S. Grantees Program Officer, further explains in the terms of her award letter to Tamara: ‘The Binational Commission in Chile seeks to engage researchers, professionals, and students with leadership potential from the United States and Chile, and provides grantees the opportunities to study, teach, and conduct research in their respective foreign country. The experience of studying in another culture is crucial to create a globally educated citizenry who will contribute to world peace and economic, social, and cultural development. The Fulbright grant is awarded not only in recognition of the individual’s academic and professional aptitude but also for the individual’s leadership potential and commitment to their local communities. Every year we select the best and the brightest, with one additional quality: a strong desire to contribute and make the world a better place.’’
Tamara would like to thank her advisors, David López-Carr and Peter Alagona, her committee members Steve Gaines, Barbara Walker, and Stefan Gelchich, the Geography Department, and the Graduate Division for their continued support. She is also grateful for feedback and steadfast encouragement provided by mentors and friends, especially Barbara Walker, Cheryl Chen, and the Pedreros Montes family.
When Tamara returns to UCSB following her fieldwork, she will write her dissertation with a UCSB Doctoral Scholar Fellowship. Co-advisor López-Carr writes ‘’Tamara’s interests cut to the core of the human-environment research field. Building on her preliminary research on small-scale fisher livelihood strategies, her proposed doctoral research examines how stakeholders from small-scale fishing, aquaculture, and ecotourism industries interact economically, politically, and socially within a common coastal marine space in Chiloé, an archipelago in southern Chile located in the Humboldt Current large marine ecosystem, the most productive marine ecosystem in the world. Tamara’s proposed work builds on research in sustainable fisheries management in investigating how to regulate marine resource use in order to ensure livelihood security and biodiversity conservation. Research findings have direct and eminent implications at the local, national, and global levels for reconciling competing marine and coastal uses. This is a compelling topic that has been studied only sparsely despite profound ecological and social ramifications. Her results promise important implications for sustainable marine resource use and for understanding the intimately related cultural and livelihood strategies relevant to coastal communities worldwide. While her proposed work for the dissertation is challenging it is eminently feasible given Tamara’s cultural sensibilities and her knowledge of the region and topic. Her clear writing and investigative talents are assets. Tamara’s patience, cultural sensitivity, and sense of humor have endeared her to the communities where she has worked in Chiloé, Chile. We will miss her during her field work next year and look forward to her successful return to UCSB geography.’’
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