Undergraduate Research in Environmental Studies with M. Henderson

Rigorous quantitative and qualitative research is an important component of academic learning in Environmental Studies. This independent learning opportunity is designed to allow advanced students to delve into real-world research with faculty who are currently engaged in specific projects. The program will help students develop vital skills in research design, data acquisition and interpretation, written and oral communication, collaboration and critical thinking skills - all of which are of particular value for students who are pursuing a graduate degree, as well as for graduates who are already in the job market.

Martha Henderson studies rural Western landscapes as processes of geography and anthropology in Pacific Northwest areas of environmental stress and economic change. Research projects include Native American landscapes and environmental change, rural communities in a global perspective, and community leadership and decision-making. Students will engage in ethnographic and spatial data gathering and analysis including the use of geographic information systems. Local environmental histories, cultural diversity, and changing resource bases will be examined. Archival and field research is encouraged.