Postdoctoral Fellow, Stanford University 2009-2012
Department of Anthropology
Woods Institute for the Environment
Ph.D., Texas A&M University, 2009
Recreation, Park, and Tourism Science (Tourism Resources Development)
M.S., Texas A&M University, 2003
Recreation, Park, and Tourism Science (Natural Resource Management)
B.A. University of Kentucky, 1997
Psychology; Minor in Spanish
Languages spoken
English
Spanish
Professional Interests
Work Experience
I am an Associate Professor of Recreation, Park and Tourism Management, and Anthropology, at The Pennsylvania State University. My research interests center the ways that tourism influences efforts to conserve biodiversity and to promote socioculturally sustainable community development. In fieldwork-based research in Latin America I utilize a background in environmental anthropology and an interest in political ecology to assess the impact of tourism on biodiversity conservation and sustainable community development in rural destination communities around parks and protected areas. I also leveraged a background in psychology into a research interest in the ways that travel influences people's subsequent behavior, including philanthropy towards conservation and research efforts.
