Research

I am currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Leadership with a concentration in Organization Development. My research focuses on the sustainability of rural and coastal communities through a leadership lens.

I am currently working as a research assistant with an interdisciplinary team studying the socio-economic challenges residents face in coastal communities in Maine and Greenland. My experience includes conducting qualitative interviews, participating in community-based research events, analyzing data, conducting literature reviews, writing articles for peer-reviewed publications, and presenting findings to local and global audiences. Additional responsibilities include mentoring research assistants, writing grants, and project management including leading research team meetings and maintaining data organization systems.

Previous research includes:

  • collaborating with Indigenous individuals from Maine and tourism and hospitality students from Greenland to conduct site assessments for sustainable tourism development at UNESCO sites and creating a cookbook and culinary community event in Greenland with the Arctic Education Alliance

  • exploring elderly experiences with loneliness and lifelong learning in rural, Northern communities

  • examining the experiences of small, independent grocers in Maine during the COVID-19 pandemic

  • exploring the impact of colonization on Inuit in Canada and Greenland

  • understanding the history and experiences of women in the blue economy

  • using arts-based research methods to explore lived experiences of residents of island communities

Publications

  • Perspectives of Island Life: Shifting Ecologies in an Independently Governed Island

    A qualitative phenomenological study explored cultural, ecological, and socio-economic changes facing residents of a small New England island.

    Island Studies Journal

    Revised and Resubmitted

  • Vulnerability and Adaptation on the Icecap’s Edge: Farming Communities in Subarctic South Greenland

    An in-depth qualitative analysis of sheep farming communities in subarctic South Greenland adapting to cultural, social, and economic changes.

    Polar Geography

    Revised and Resubmitted

  • Life on the Island: Collage Portraiture and Storytelling as Community Building

    Portrays the experiences and impact of using arts-based research methods in an island community.

    Journal of Community Engagement and Scholarship - July 2024

    Read Article

  • Examining the Experiences of Small, Independent Grocers during the COVID-19 Pandemic

    In this research brief, we examine the resilience of independent grocers in Maine in light of the COVID-19 pandemic.

    Maine Policy Review - October 2022

    Read Article

  • The Blueprint for the Blue Economy in the Arctic Must Focus on Communities and Recognize the Work of Women

    Highlighting the foundational nature of communities in the blue economy and the invisible role women have played in the blue economy.

    Maine North Atlantic Institute - October 2022

    Read Article

Presentations

  • North Atlantic Forum - Letterfrack, Ireland | 6/2024

    Oral Presentation: Beyond Traditional Approaches: A Model for Conducting Reciprocal, Relational Research in Rural Communities.

    Poster Presentation: Unrecognized Leaders in Rural Communities: Women Entrepreneurs and Their Contributions to Economic and Civic Well-Being.

  • UArctic Congress - Bodø, Norway | 5/2024

    Oral Presentation: Learning from Rural Women Entrepreneurs: The Role of Entrepreneurial Ecosystems in Creating Sustainable Livelihoods and Thriving Communities.

    Poster Presentations: (1) Catalyzing Change by Centering Indigenous Perspectives in Sustainable Tourism. (2) Assessing Climate Shift Vulnerabilities to Remote Sheep Farming Communities in South Greenland.

  • 52nd International Arctic Workshop - University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA | 3/2024

    Oral Presentation: Vulnerability and Adaptation on the Icecap’s Edge: Farming Communities in Subarctic South Greenland

    Poster Presentation: Centering Indigenous Perspectives in Sustainable Arctic Tourism

  • 42N (formerly New England Arctic Network) - University of New England, Portland, ME | 11/2023

    Poster presentation: Perseverance and Adaptation in South Greenland Farming Communities.

  • American Association of Geographers NESTVAL Regional Meeting - Portland, ME | 10/2023

    Oral Presentation: Perseverance and Adaptation in South Greenland Farming Communities.

    *Received Graduate Student Research Paper Award.

  • Arctic Circle Assembly, Reykjavik, Iceland | 10/2022

    Panel presentation: The Blueprint for the Blue Economy in the Arctic Must Focus on Communities and Recognize the Work of Women.

  • Thinking Matters - University of Southern Maine, Portland, Maine | 4/2022

    Poster presentation on master’s thesis: Identifying the Support Women Entrepreneurs in Rural Maine Need from Each Other and Their Communities to Thrive