News Article

Melissa is interested in how cities grow in the desert. She explores this question by examining how the climatological, hydrological and socio-political contexts in which we live shape how we are able to manage water resources. She employs a variety of social science methods depending on the project including: surveys, interviews, stakeholder focus groups, scenario planning, mental mapping and visual sociology. Pursuing her research goals requires the ability and willingness to transcend disciplines, which is why Melissa seeks out opportunities to work with engineers, geographers, atmospheric scientists, and others. To that end she has pursued degrees in Sociology (DePaul University, BA/MA), Urban Planning (Massachusetts Institute of Technology, MS) and Ecology (Colorado State University, PhD). She is excited to use her experience to innovate interdisciplinary research pursuits with iUTAH affiliates and work with community decision-makers to plan for environmental and social sustainability in the Wasatch Front.