Mauricio Betancourt

Mauricio Betancourt is an Assistant Professor of Environmental Studies at Washington and Lee University (W&L), specializing in environmental sociology, global food systems, and ecological imperialism. He holds a B.Sc. in Biology (Summa Cum Laude) and an M.A. in Philosophy of Science from the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), followed by an M.A. and Ph.D. in Sociology from the University of Oregon.

His research focuses on the metabolic rift theory, ecological imperialism, and the socio-ecological impacts of resource extraction. Recent work examines the 19th-century guano trade’s role in U.S. imperial expansion, linking environmental history to political economy. He has taught courses on environmental justice, climate change, and agroecology, with prior rural work including seven years as a literacy teacher in Mexico and co-founding an agroecology project in Oaxaca.

Publications span peer-reviewed journals like Socius, addressing topics from Cuban agroecology to hydroelectric trade-offs. His teaching emphasizes critical analysis of global environmental challenges and unequal development dynamics.