About me
I am a political ecologist focused on land politics and the drivers and impacts of agricultural expansion across the world. In particular, I am interested in what policies, socio-cultural practices, and market forces determine the balance between large-scale, intensive commercial plantations and small-scale, complex production systems. One way I explore this is through China’s growing investments in land and other resources in the Mekong Region - a topic which has forced me to think about the politics of China's broader economic and environmental engagements. Another way is through supply chain initiatives targeting agriculture-driven deforestation in Southeast Asia, and another is through efforts to store carbon thorugh perennial planting across Canada's agricultural landscapes.
In my research, writing, and teaching, I aim to connect my findings to interdisciplinary, impact-oriented debates over environmental conflicts, agricultural production, and China's global expansion. I engage with various data sources and methods for conducting in-depth, comparative local cases that reflect global trends. I prioritize the collection of on-the-ground empirical data through long-term fieldwork in China, Laos, and across the Mekong Region, and have continued this grounded approach to my work on agriculture in British Columbia, Canada. I enjoy engaging not only with other academics but also with policymakers and the general public in shaping more sustainable, just systems of environmental governance and development. I consider these engagements important to enhancing the quality and relevance of my work and inspiring the broader direction of my scholarly inquiries.
On a more personal note, I was born and raised in Nashua, New Hampshire, on the unceded territory of the Pennacook, Abenaki and Wabanaki Peoples. I am a first generation Chinese American on my dad's side and a French Irish settler on my mom's. I'm a mom of two boys, I love to play Ultimate Frisbee, for fun, not for glory, and hip hop is my favorite art form. I have been deeply affected by mental health struggles in my family, which I am happy to discuss if it can help others in similar situations.
