Community Engaged Research
Partnering with local community stakeholders is integral to much of my work and I pay careful attention to involving key community members in my projects. While it is not appropriate for every project, embedded research benefits the quality of the work and offers opportunities to implement findings for the benefit of the community. Much of my work on environmental justice has involved community support and enabled me to give back to some of the communities that need help the most.
North Texas Research Coalition (NTRC)
While at UTA, I founded (and continue to direct) the North Texas Research Coalition (NTRC). The NTRC is dedicated to supporting collaboration between political science, public administration, and public policy scholars across North Texas with the aim of leveraging regional resources to facilitate generation of high-quality, collaborative research and disseminate findings to improve the impact of that work across academia and the wider Texas region.
Community Engaged Teaching
Involving students in real-world applied projects benefits both them and the community partners receiving support. I have integrated service-learning projects with local government actors into my teaching while at UTA, attempting to promote applied learning, benefit local communities, and better integrate the university with the local governments surrounding it.
Community Service Outside of Academia
Outside of academia, I am an active member of the birdwatching community and continue to involve myself in local engagement efforts aimed at preserving, conserving, and restoring local environments for animals and the people who enjoy watching them.