Hallie Eakin

Hallie Eakin is a Professor in the School of Sustainability at Arizona State University (ASU), with affiliations in the School of Urban Planning and Geographical Sciences. She also holds roles in the Earth Systems Science for the Anthropocene, Lincoln Center Applied Ethics, Water Institute, Urban Climate Research Center, and Walton Center for Planetary Health. Her research focuses on governance of socio-ecological systems, household vulnerability, adaptation to global change, and sustainable food systems.

Education: Ph.D. Geography (University of Arizona, 2002), M.A. Geography (2000), B.A. Environmental Studies (Brown University, 1993). Postdoctoral research included fellowships at UC San Diego (2002) and UNAM, Mexico (2003–2005).

Research Interests: Rural development, food sovereignty, social-ecological resilience, climate adaptation strategies, and integration of risk into urban/rural planning. Her work emphasizes institutional contexts of vulnerability and multi-scale governance linkages.

Recent work explores urban resilience in megacities like Mexico City, emerging governance responses to climate shocks, and equity dimensions in adaptation. She has led interdisciplinary projects funded by NSF, NOAA, and international collaborations, focusing on water sustainability, flood risk, and food systems.

Grants/Service: Over 20 funded research projects since 2008, including leadership in the MEGADAPT initiative. Editorial roles for Global Environmental Change and Climate and Development. Supervises graduate students in sustainability science and policy.

Labs/Teams: Active in the Global Futures Scientists network and transformation labs (T-Labs) addressing socio-ecological challenges in Xochimilco and other vulnerable regions.