Research Associate in Environmental Governance and Coastal Change
About The Position
Barnard College’s Department of Anthropology seeks a Research Associate to work with Professor Paige West on a collaborative project examining environmental governance and community responses to ecological change. The project connects research on coastal restoration and climate adaptation with collaborative work on conservation and Indigenous sovereignty in Papua New Guinea. The Research Associate will investigate how environmental change is defined as a crisis and how those definitions shape planning priorities and opportunities for community action, with particular attention to the relationship between ecological restoration and histories of extraction and dispossession. The project will also examine how official representations of environmental loss intersect with residents’ knowledge of changing landscapes and their efforts to defend meaningful relationships with land and water. The role involves synthesizing interdisciplinary scholarship, analyzing ethnographic and archival materials, and developing comparative arguments with Professor West. The successful candidate will contribute to co-authored publications and research proposals, prepare materials for broader audiences, and help organize exchanges among scholars, environmental practitioners, and community collaborators. Compensation is $25 per hour for up to 100 hours total.
Requirements
- Ph.D. in anthropology or a closely related field.
- Strong writing skills.
- Experience coordinating interdisciplinary initiatives.
- Demonstrated capacity to work with community organizations.
Nice To Haves
- Substantial research experience in coastal environmental governance.
- Demonstrated expertise in the politics of restoration and planning.
- Strong grounding in political ecology.
- Experience analyzing maps and environmental narratives alongside ethnographic evidence.
- Work connecting critical humanistic inquiry with collaborative environmental research.
Responsibilities
- Synthesize interdisciplinary scholarship.
- Analyze ethnographic and archival materials.
- Develop comparative arguments with Professor West.
- Contribute to co-authored publications and research proposals.
- Prepare materials for broader audiences.
- Help organize exchanges among scholars, environmental practitioners, and community collaborators.
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Part-time
Career Level
Senior
Education Level
Ph.D. or professional degree
