GIS, Environmental Geography, Remote Sensing, Health Geography, Human Geography, Urban-Economic Geography
RESEARCH SYNOPSIS
I am a first-generation, graduate student who has dedicated his undergraduate education to research the disproportionate impact of environmental hazards on marginalized racial, ethnic communities. My background in Political Science, Africana studies, and Environmental Science has granted me the opportunity to conduct research on environmental racism at the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC), DePaul University, and Michigan State University. I possess a passion for expanding the literature on environmental justice to detail the experiences of racial and ethnic minorities suffering from hazardous conditions caused by oppressive institutional and corporate practices and regulations. I believe the Department of Geography, Environment, and Spatial Sciences at Michigan State University will be an ideal place to nurture my passion for environmental research and advocacy. I am specifically interested in using Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and the Darden-Kamel Socioeconomic Index to examine the spatial distribution of environmental health problems, exploring the social forces that create power differentials in environmental regulations and policies, and developing community-based strategies to reduce the exposure risk from environmental contaminants. My ultimate career goal is to become a tenured faculty member and a policy advisor to the US Environmental Protection Agency and the United States Congress. I am certain that a Ph.D. from Michigan State University will help me achieve my goals.
