About + History
Inspiration for this lab came from similar writing, reading, and lab groups across CU Boulder, UC Berkeley, and the University of British Columbia, which have shown me the importance of collaborative and supportive intellectual spaces to workshop ideas, build community, and sustain meaning and purpose in our efforts.
What is political ecology?
Political Ecology Lab Members
Director: Dr. Jessica DiCarlo
Current Students
Kang Li (PhD Geography)
Caitlin Quirk (Post-grad researcher; MA Environmental Humanities, 2026)
Gabi Melo (MA Environmental Humanities)
Jiayi Li (PhD Geography)
Duo Lu (PhD Geography)
Talula Pontuti (PhD Geography)
Marissa Greer (PhD Geography)
Ashley Green (PhD Geography)
Maya Gomez-Coultas (MA Environmental Humanities)
Past Students
Mara Scallon (MA Environmental Humanities, 2026)
Madeline Hill (ENVST Undergraduate 2025), Recreation & access in the Oquirrh mountains
Garrett Jensen (MA Asian Studies 2024), China’s climate engagement in Samoa
Regular Events
Monthly lab meetings to foster a space for discussion, collaboration, and feedback. Graduate students can present a “work-in-progress” (grants, data collection tool, conference preparation, qualifying exam materials, paper outlines or drafts) and receive feedback, or graduate students propose a book, article, or topic of discussion related to political ecology for discussion. Topics included, for example, political economy of extraction, critical discourse studies, feminist political ecology, food & agriculture, and more.
Upcoming Events
Inaugural writing retreat... stay tuned.
Past events
AAG 2026 presentations, defense and research talk, and more!
O.U.C.H. - The Oquirrh Ultra Challenge
Belonging in the Oquirrhs, Library Presentation, 2025
Writing retreat at Taft Nicholson Center (2025), Revisiting the Political Ecology and Agrarian Studies of Southeast Asia
