James Cunningham

Education
BA, Spanish, University of Arizona 
BS, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Arizona 
MS, Geographic Information Science and Technology, Georgia Institute of Technology

Year Admitted
2023

Research Areas
ecosystem services, land use, climate change, data science, environmental policy

Faculty Advisor
Ashley Larsen

Bio
Broadly trained as an ecologist and geographer, James is interested in using data-driven methods to understand how coupled human-natural systems are altered by and can adapt to climate change. At Bren, he is interested in studying how climate and land-use change impact ecosystem services in California’s Central Valley, and how this can scale up to broader issues related to public health and well-being.

As an ecologist, he has contributed to research focusing on understanding interaction rewiring in plant-pollinator networks, quantifying the impacts of heat shocks on pollinator phenology, and quantifying climate impacts on epigenetic changes in crop pests.

James is also passionate about science communication and supporting equitable climate adaptation policy in California. He has also conducted research on how California cities translate climate information, such as Global Climate Models, to develop adaptation planning strategies.