Matthew Sanderson

Dr. Matthew Sanderson holds dual professorships as Professor of Geography and Randall C. Hill Professor of Sociology, Anthropology, and Social Work at Kansas State University's College of Arts and Sciences. He is affiliated with the Department of Geography and Geospatial Sciences and serves as Editor of the academic journal Agriculture and Human Values.

His research program focuses on development as both a practice and an ideal, with particular emphasis on human-ecosphere relations within globalization processes. Professor Sanderson employs comparative and historical methodologies to investigate development across places and time periods. His current research examines co-evolving relations between humans and ecosystems, specifically analyzing the dynamic intersections of water, agriculture, and local social structures amid long-term global social change. A significant portion of his work also investigates international migration as both a cause and consequence of global political-economic dynamics.

Professor Sanderson's research has secured substantial funding from prestigious agencies including the U.S. National Science Foundation, U.S. Department of Agriculture, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and Australian Research Council. His interdisciplinary approach bridges geography, sociology, and environmental studies to explore pathways toward more regenerative, socially and ecologically resilient communities.