Kelsey Emard

Kelsey Emard is an Assistant Professor in Geography at Oregon State University (OSU), affiliated with the College of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sciences. She holds a Ph.D. from The Pennsylvania State University in Geography and Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies, an M.S. in Geography from Portland State University, and a B.S. in Business Management from Oregon Institute of Technology.

Her research focuses on rural livelihoods and environmental change in the U.S. and Central America, emphasizing political ecology, environmental justice, and feminist methodologies. She directs the Political Ecology Lab at OSU, mentoring undergraduate and graduate students in critical human-environment studies.

Recent work explores Afro-Costa Rican women’s agrarian practices, social sustainability in the U.S. beef industry, and anticolonial approaches to lifestyle migration. She has also pioneered the podcast-as-methodology for geographic research, emphasizing accessible knowledge dissemination.

• Key Research Themes: Livelihood adaptation, climate justice, feminist praxis, extractive industries.
• Labs/Teams: Political Ecology Lab (OSU).