Curriculum Vitae
Education
University of Florida
PhD Candidate, Geography (expected Spring 2026)
Committee: Brian Child (chair), Jane Southworth, David Keellings, Sebastian Elischer
Dissertation: “Institutions, Authority, and Governance: Understanding the Performance of Community-Based Natural Resource Management in Southern Africa”
Graduate Certificate in Digital Geography and GIS
Areas of interest: community-based natural resource management (CBNRM), collaborative governance, environmental justice, biodiversity conservation, social-ecological systems, wildlife economics, political ecology, Southern Africa
Villanova University
MA, Political Science, with Distinction (2012)
Thesis: “The Colonial and Post-Colonial Foundations of Conflict and Underdevelopment in Africa”
Ithaca College
BA, Journalism, cum Laude (2009)
Minors: Philosophy, Politics
Teaching Experience
Instructor of Record
GEO 3502: Economic Geography, University of Florida
⁘ Fall 2025 (Classroom)
⁘ Fall 2023 – Summer 2025, Spring 2026 (Online)
GEO 2410: Social Geography, University of Florida
⁘ Summer A 2023 (Online)
GEO 3430: Population Geography, University of Florida
⁘ Fall 2022 (Classroom)
⁘ Spring 2022 (Online)
⁘ Fall 2021 (Hyflex)
Course and Program Development
Life Through Wildlife, Professional Certificate in Wildlife Economy and CBNRM Governance
⁘ GEO 6325: Wildlife Economy & Policy: Governance and Economics of Wildlife on Working Landscapes
⁘ GEO 6374: Community Conservation Governance: Theory and Practice
⁘ Course 3 – Field Training at Anchor Sites (Botswana, Namibia, Kenya, Mozambique)
GEA 1050: Prisoners of Geography: 10 Maps that Explain the World
⁘ Development term, Spring 2023
Teaching Assistant
Public Education in Camden, NJ Lecture Series (Fall 2010, Spring 2011), Villanova University
JOU 112: Journalism Research (Spring 2008, Spring 2009), Ithaca College
Guest Lecturer
CPO 2001: Comparative Politics (Spring 2013), Santa Fe College
PSC 4875:Comparative Civil Liberties (Spring 2011), Villanova University
Recent Awards
Graduate Student Teaching Award
University of Florida Graduate School, 2025-2026
Research Fellow
Global Environment Facility (GEF) Fonseca Leadership Program, August 2024 – Present ($550,000)
⁘ Program: Life Through Wildlife Fonseca Fellowships
⁘ PI: Brian Child, PhD
Research Fellow
Science for Nature and People Partnership (SNAPP), June 2023 – September 2025 ($231,700)
⁘ Working Group: CBNRM Governance & Economics
⁘ PI: Brian Child, PhD
McKnight Foundation Doctoral Fellowship
Florida Education Fund, 2012-2017; Certificate of Achievement, 2026
Professional Experience
University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA | October 2021 – June 2023
Director of Online Learning Strategy
University of Florida, Gainesville, FL | July 2016 – October 2021
Assistant Director, Academic Support Services, Office of Distance Learning
NURU Agency, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania | May 2018 – February 2019
Consultant, Tanzania Wildlife Management Authority (TAWA)
Children of Rural Africa, Evans City, PA \ Ogoja, Nigeria | June 2014 – June 2016
U.S. Country Director
Center for Peace and Justice Education, Villanova University, Villanova, PA | 2010 – 2012
Program Assistant
Research Experience
Field Research, Namibia (February 2024)
⁘ Funded by The Nature Conservancy (SNAPP) and Namibia Chamber of Environment
⁘ Comprehensive survey of livelihoods, household consumption, institutional participation, social capital, and wildlife tolerance
⁘ Administered approximately 250 surveys in Zambezi Region, Namibia (Kwandu, Mashi, Wuparo conservancies)
Field Research, Namibia (Summer 2023)
⁘ Research supervised by Dr. Brian Child and Dr. Christopher Brown (Namibia Chamber of Environment); funded by Jamma International and Namibia Chamber of Environment
⁘ Worked on a team that designed a survey of livelihoods, household consumption, institutional participation, social capital, and wildlife tolerance
⁘ Managed conversion of paper surveys to digital using Kobo software
⁘ Administered approximately 350 household-level surveys in three conservancies in Kunene Region, Namibia (Ehi Rovipuka, ≠Khoadi-//Hôas, and Doro !nawas)
⁘ Co-led and participated in community workshop presentations of data findings in each community
Research Assistant, Dr. David M. Barrett, Villanova University (2010-2012)
Editorial and indexing assistance for resulting publication: David M. Barrett and Max Holland, Blind Over Cuba (Texas A&M Press, 2012)
Field Research, Nigeria (2008)
⁘ Monitored and assisted in impact assessments for education and health projects conducted by local development organization, Children of Rural Africa
⁘ Conducted 60 semi-structured interviews and two focus groups in rural Cross River State to assess local education and health service needs
⁘ Funded by a grant from Park School of Communications at Ithaca College
Professional Service
Editorial Committee, African Studies Quarterly (2012-2014)
African Politics Search Committee, Department of Political Science, Villanova University (Fall 2011)
Professional Affiliations
African Politics Conference Group
African Studies Association
American Association of Geographers
Florida Society of Geographers
Skills
Software: ArcGIS Pro/Online, ENVI, ODK/KoboToolbox, SPSS, Adobe CC
Programming: HTML5/CSS, JavaScript, R, Python, LaTeX