Past Projects

My research interests stem from life experiences working and living in rural and urban spaces, while experiencing their unique challenges and benefits. This extends to my work on human/non-human interactions, disaster mitigation, physical geography and institutions predominantly in the Northern California Bay Area of the US, and the Canadian Pacific Northwest.

Sea Cucumbers in the Commodity Chain

Global commodity chain analysis of the illegal sea cucumber trade

This project was an early combination of my research interests in human geography (economic, rural, health and safety), criminology, physical geography (environmental, soil science - sand is soil) and GIScience.

Analyzing the commodity chain, including a loss of biodiversity due to a mass removal of these endangered 'sea floor vacuums' also allowed me to explore rural healthcare geographies, the health and safety of divers as they were pushed to their limit, the erosion of traditional harvesting practices and the related cultural impacts, changes to the economy of the area, and the lives of residents, but also impacts of crime from local to global, trade policy, and how traditional medicine and gourmet practices interact with the illegal animal trade.

Moving forward, I have combined these elements into further studies to examine the complex effects of human/non-human interactions on rural spaces, and the reactions of regulatory bodies. Analysis of non-human geography also enables a deeper look into societal responses, which offers an opportunity to interrupt negative impacts.

Counterfeit Geography

The Hidden World of Trans Global Wine Fraud

This storymap group project and presentation looked at the growing world of wine fraud through geography, criminology and chemistry lenses, its cultural impacts, regulatory responses, famous cases and detection methods. Readers were also provided with a graph of how to detect fraudulent wine in their own purchases.

In further research projects, this combination of rural geography (both human and physical) and criminology will allow me to explore a range of impacts by examining agricultural industries deeply tied to the human geography of an area, as well as consumer education, the responses of local to global regulatory networks, and their reactions to crime. Each point of contact presents an opportunity to reduce impacts in the travel of illegal goods.

Technology and Geography

Asking the question: does responsible geography require a deep an understanding of technology?

This presentation explored the questions of technology and tech devices used in geography from drones to datasets. Focusing on the need for algorithm audits, and an understanding of the inherent nature of technology created bias, I explored the need for geographers to exhibit control over their research and its uses. Using examples from a diversity of studies ranging from rural health care to government policies, the military, and criminal justice, decision making was examined.

Moving forward, I am taking this idea into several concepts which address activities and issues unique to, or enhanced in, rural environments, such as the complex issue of technology assisted domestic violence. I will also take a deeper look into cybersecurity, algorithm audits & the datasets used in GIScience used to inform policy decisions. This will include recently developed plugins and tools, and the possible ramifications of their use.

Institutions

I wrote several papers focusing on the human geography of institutions.

In topics ranging from erasure in natural spaces to criminal justice, and healthcare geographies, this series of papers was an exploration of how institution's core values relate to their 'output.' This was measured through a review of how decisions made by professionals trained in curated research spaces impact students, clients, professionals and patients.

Institutions make for revealing analysis. Going forward, I have expanded on my papers to examine the networks involved in institutions, and how educational spaces are responding to the change in student populations with an eye on health and safety.

Some Past Posters & Presentations

The Popkum Cheam Landslide (2023)

Representing the Edge Effect in 3D Analysis (2023)

Nixon Shock and the Gold Standard (2024)

Geohazards of Livermore California (2024)

Silicon Valley North: The American Tech Industry in Metro Vancouver (2024)