PhD Student
Education
BA, Environmental Studies and Latin American & Iberian Studies, University of California, Santa Barbara
Bio
Emilie specializes in environmental political economy, global environmental justice, and natural resource geopolitics. Her research examines how global systems of power shape environmental governance in Latin America, with a particular focus on China-Latin America relations and the political economy of the global energy transition. While her work offers a global and historical analysis of natural resource governance, it remains grounded in the lived experiences of local communities. Her current research examines the impacts of lithium extraction in Chile and Bolivia, using ethnographic and comparative methods to study how global energy geopolitics shape community livelihoods, natural resource sovereignty, and Indigenous rights. Conducted in collaboration with local communities and environmental leaders across Latin America, her work emphasizes community- and nature-based approaches to environmental problems. Prior to beginning her PhD, Emilie’s undergraduate research examined how environmental change drives displacement and migration in vulnerable regions. She also conducted research in Chile on water rights and policy, analyzing water equity, community resilience, and the effects of private control over water resources. Through her work, Emilie seeks to bridge global political-economic analysis with practical, community-centered solutions to environmental injustice.
Year Admitted
2024
Faculty Advisor(s)
David Pellow