Post Docs and Students

Current Post-Doctoral Researchers

  • Dr. Paula Tomaz (Ph.D., Federal University of Ceara, Fortaleza, Brazil).
    • Dr. Tomaz leads Brazilian-based research on household water insecurity in Northeast Brazil. She currently collaborates with me on data collected from the NSF project and will lead all field work for our collaboration with Dr. Leila Harris on non-material dimensions of household water insecurity in traditional fishing communities on the Cearense coastline.
  • Dr. Amanda Fencl (Ph.D., University of California-Davis, Geography)
    • Dr. Fencl is the lead research for our research activities in San Diego/Orange County California and Australia for the TAMU Presidential X-Grant. In addition, she draws on deep research experience from her work on drinking water governance and climate change in California to advance our projects work on water governance.
  • Dr. Gretchen Sneegas (Ph.D. University of Georgia, Geography)
    • Dr. Sneegas is the lead research for our multi-sited Q-Method study and our Israel case study site for the TAMU Presidential X-Grant. She leverages long-standing experience in Q-Method and political ecology to develop and execute the comparative research elements of our project.
  • Dr. Kyungsun Lee (Ph.D. SUNY-Environmental Science and Forestry 2018)
    • Dr. Lee is the lead researcher on the sectoral analysis of the global water desalination and water reuse (GDWR) for the TAMU Presidential X-Grant. She leverages her expertise in sustainable transitions and industrial ecology to develop a comparative framework for our case study analysis.

Current Graduate Students

  • Anais Roque, Ph.D., Co-Chair (with Dr Amber Wutich), Environmental Social Science,School for Human Evolution and Social Change, Arizona State University
  • Lauren Nyquist, Ph.D., Chair, Geography (starting August 2020)
  • Matt Stellbauer, Ph.D., Chair, Water Management and Hydrological Sciences Program
  • Anna Van der Grift, Ph.D. Chair, Geography
  • Grace Harmon, M.S., Chair, Geography (starting August 2020)
  • Cindy Figueroa, M.S., Chair, Geography (starting August 2020)
  • Victoria Harrington, M.S., Chair, Geography

Former Graduate Students

  • Kelli Condina, M.S., Chair, Geography (2020)
  • Amy Truong, M.S., Chair, Water Management and Hydrological Sciences Program[ currently works as a Water Justice intern for water advocacy Blue Access LLC
  • Sydney Beckner, M.S., 2018, Chair, Geography
    • Research Topic: Groundwater governance and Vista Ridge Inter-aquifer Pipeline in Central Texas
    • Notable Achievements: Co-authored paper to be submitted to Society and Natural Resources
    • Currently Research Associate Texas Water Resources Institute
  • Heather Lee, Ph.D. 2016, Chair, Doctoral Dissertation Project: “Where does the “soft path” lead?: Irrigation technologies and water conservation in Central Mexico”
    • Notable Achievements: NSF Doctoral Dissertation Research Improvement Grant (2014);  CONACYT Fellow (TAMU); NSF PASI Trainee; Glasscock Graduate Fellowship (2013-2014); coauthored paper in Environment and Planning A (with Jepson); Texas A&M Doctoral Dissertation Fellowship (2015)
  • Swetha Peteru, Ph.D. 2016, Chair, Doctoral Dissertation Project: Linking Management Practices to Plant Species and Genetic Diversity in Agroforestry Systems”
    • Notable Achievements: Applied Biodiversity Science Associate; Whole Systems Genomics Initiative Catalyst Grant (With Cairns); Graduate Diversity Fellowship; Applied Biodiversity Science Amazon Field School Grant; Glasscock Graduate Fellowship (2013-2014); Society of Women Geographers Pruitt Fellowship (2014-2015); Texas A&M Doctoral Dissertation Fellowship (2016)
  • Tianna Bruno, M.S. 2016, Chair, “Market-Based Environmental Justice: A Study of EPA Showcase Communities”
    • Notable Achievements: Society of Women Geographers National Minority Pruitt Fellowship (2015); Fellow, AGEP (Advancing Interdisciplinary STEM Graduate Education in Energy and Sustainability Disciplines)
    • Currently PhD Student, Geography , University of Oregon
  • Audrey Joslin, Ph.D. 2015, Geography, Chair, Doctoral Dissertation: “Labor and Territory in Environmental Governance Regimes for Biodiversity Conservation in Ecuador’s Paramo”
    • Notable Achievements: IGERT Trainee; NSF Doctoral Dissertation Research Improvement Grant (2013); Texas A&M Doctoral Dissertation Fellowship (2014-2015)
    • Currently Assistant Professor, Geography, Kansas State University 
  • Emily Vandewalle, MS Geography, 2014, Chair; Master’s Thesis: “From Emergency to Fix: Point-of-use Water FiltrationTechnology in Colonias along the United States-Mexico Border”
    • Notable Achievements: published two papers with Jepson from graduate work. Emily, who has worked in the Texas Water Research Institute since graduating, will be begin a year working with a water NGO in the Philippine
    • Co-authored two papers with Jepson (The Professional Geographer; GEO)
  • Abhineety Goel, Ph.D., Geography, 2013, Chair
    Doctoral Dissertation: “Institutional Change and Resource Security in the Omkareshwar National Park Complex, India.