Ph.D.
Associate Professor
School of Natural Resources
Research at a glance
Area(s) of Expertise
Research Summary
My research examines the joint influences of environmental hazards, land use, and socioeconomic conditions in socioenvironmental systems. The goal of this work is to identify policy and practice solutions that promote social equity and the preservation of natural resources and ecosystems for future generations.
Nelson’s research focuses on issues related to the sustainability of communities and agricultural landscapes (SCALEs). Nelson’s team addresses challenges related to climate change adaptation and social equity, with an emphasis on rural and agricultural systems in the U.S. This work includes studies of: the equity of flood mitigation policy implementation, relationships between landscape structure and resilience of crop production, and rural sustainability assessment. Nelson’s research frequently applies large-scale quantitative spatial analysis to interrogate the bounds of relationships and identify scalar influences but also employs mixed methods approaches to ground and contextualize findings.
Educational background
- Ph.D., Vanderbilt University, 2018