I am from Baltimore, Maryland and never really left the state before I studied abroad at the University of Wollongong in Australia as an undergraduate. This experience was incredibly formative. I met some of my best and closest friends (as well as distant relatives), found an intellectual curiosity for the intersection of international development and tourism development, and fell in love with surfing. I continue to examine surf tourism resources as comprised within a socio-ecological system and interrogate the effectiveness of user driven governance models attempting to ensure local benefits and minimal ecological harm. I have conducted research on surf tourism governance in Peru and Costa Rica and I am excited to continue this line of inquiry along with SFS students in the field using Bocas del Toro as a case study.
Since arriving at SFS, I have also completed and continue to conduct research projects on the difficulties associated with delivering sustainable Indigenous tourism in Bocas del Toro. The aim is to help communities implement best practices and enhance visitation as a part of a comprehensive empowerment and poverty reduction strategy. I have also led research examining protected area governance on the archipelago. The work has led to direct and practical recommendations to stakeholders as part of an effort to drive human and ecological well-being through participatory, equitable and effective protected area governance.
When not teaching with SFS, I run surf themed, short term study abroad programs with a company I started called SeaState. The goal of this platform is to use my field research as a teaching tool for undergraduate students – to give them the tools, as well as, inspire them to pursue research that aligns with their passions.