Carrie Chennault

Carrie Chennault is an Assistant Professor of Geography in the Department of Anthropology and Geography at Colorado State University (CSU), part of the College of Liberal Arts. Her research focuses on feminist and Black geographies, political ecology, and environmental justice, with a particular emphasis on anti-racism in food systems and carceral landscapes. She co-directs the Prison Agriculture Lab, examining the intersections of agriculture and racialized incarceration through geospatial analysis and participatory methods. Recent projects include a NASA-funded initiative mapping environmental hazards in prisons and a community-engaged study on food and housing justice in Dubuque, Iowa.

Dr. Chennault holds a PhD in Sustainable Agriculture from Iowa State University (ISU), with minors in Women’s and Gender Studies, and completed a postdoctoral fellowship at CSU. Her work bridges academia and activism, prioritizing collaborative partnerships with marginalized communities. She has taught courses such as 'Abolition Geographies' and 'Human-Environment Geographies,' emphasizing critical pedagogy and community engagement.

Her research explores how racial capitalism structures prison agriculture, Black women’s placemaking in urban spaces, and the co-production of knowledge through participatory action research. She has published widely on topics including abolition methodologies, environmental justice in carceral systems, and the political ecology of food systems. Her lab’s work has been featured in media outlets like The Nation and Mold, and she actively engages in public outreach through workshops and educational initiatives.

Dr. Chennault’s advising includes graduate student Reagan Ross, and her grants include NASA funding for geospatial projects. She co-founded the Prison Agriculture Lab and collaborates with organizations like the Campaign to Fight Toxic Prisons and the CSU Geospatial Centroid. Her teaching and scholarship reflect a commitment to transformative justice and community-driven research.