As an applied anthropologist, I specialize in ethnoecology, medical anthropology, and the anthropology of religion using cognitive and phenomenological approaches. My research has focused on the relationships between cultural knowledge systems, identity, and community, with the aim of working toward human well-being and environmental sustainability. I have two current research programs, both of which are centered on local ecological knowledge, relationships to place, identity, and environmental and cultural change. One ongoing project focuses on understanding relational epistemology, ontology, and ethics among contemporary Pagans, and the ways in which Pagans use religion for healing themselves and their relationships to the earth. My most recent work is "American Druidry: Crafting the Wild Soul" (2024). My newest ethnographic project is focusing on changes in identity, community, and relationships to place among both Americans immigrating to other countries and the people in the locations receiving them. My past studies have included the political ecology and environmental history of the Eastern Sierra Nevada and environmental health issues related to extreme heat in Los Angeles. In my consulting practice, I facilitate developing and evaluating culturally competent, inclusive community-based programs providing educational, social, and mental health services to vulnerable populations. When not working, I can be found hiking, with my horses, or creating mixed media art.
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Ph.D. 2007, University of California Riverside
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M.A. 2003, University of California Riverside
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B.A. 2001, University of California Riverside
