معرفی
Julie Michelle Klinger is an Associate Professor in the Department of Geography and Spatial Sciences at the University of Delaware's College of Earth, Ocean & Environment. Her research examines global resource frontiers and space-based technologies through ethnographic fieldwork across China, Brazil, and the United States, with significant contributions to environmental politics and critical minerals governance.
Her educational background includes:
- Ph.D. in Geography from the University of California, Berkeley (2015)
- B.A. from Sarah Lawrence College (2006)
Dr. Klinger's research program centers on three interconnected themes: critical minerals supply chains (analyzing environmental/social impacts of rare earth extraction for sustainable decarbonization), global space politics (challenging privatization narratives through projects like her book 'Capitalizing the Cosmos'), and community survival strategies (collaborating with Indigenous groups like Brazil's Yanomami to document land use amid extractive pressures). Her work consistently bridges geopolitical analysis with on-the-ground survival tactics in resource frontier zones.
Recent publications (2020-2024) reveal intensifying focus on US-China space rivalry, mineral supply chain vulnerabilities for renewable energy, and the environmental geopolitics of orbital infrastructure. She increasingly connects terrestrial mining impacts with space resource extraction debates, emphasizing Global South perspectives.
Her accolades include the 2017 Meridian Book Prize for 'Rare Earth Frontiers: From Terrestrial Subsoils to Lunar Landscapes'.
Dr. Klinger has secured funding from the National Science Foundation, Irmgard Coninx Stiftung, and Johns Hopkins University's China-Africa Research Initiative. She previously co-directed Boston University's Land Use and Livelihoods Initiative and mentors students in community-centered research partnerships, particularly with Amazonian Indigenous communities.
Affiliated with UD's Embodiment Lab and Minerals, Materials and Society Program, she develops collaborative frameworks with remote sensing specialists and Indigenous knowledge holders to advance equitable climate solutions.
