Kayla Yurco

Kayla Yurco is an Associate Professor of Geography at James Madison University (JMU), within the College of Integrated Science & Engineering. Her work bridges feminist methodologies, political ecology, and environmental governance, with a focus on Sub-Saharan Africa and global food systems.

• PhD in Geography from Pennsylvania State University
• M.S. in Natural Resources & Environment (University of Michigan)
• B.S. Biological Sciences and B.A. English Literature (University of Pittsburgh)

Research Interests: Her scholarship examines gendered dimensions of resource access, livestock management, food security, and environmental justice in pastoralist communities. She also explores care work dynamics and the intersections of globalization with local practices.

Experience Highlights:

• Faculty Associate for Teaching, Center for Faculty Innovation (JMU, 2021–present)
• Assistant de langue, Ministère de l’Éducation Nationale (France, 2015–2017)
• Graduate Fellow, International Livestock Research Institute (Nairobi, Kenya, 2014–2016)

Teaching: Courses include feminist geography, environmental justice, and mixed-methods research. She emphasizes inclusive pedagogies and geospatial tools.

Publications: Over a dozen peer-reviewed articles focus on gendered labor in pastoralism, dairy industry transformations, and political ecologies of food systems. Recent works analyze Kenya’s pastoralist milking spaces and care work re-negotiations during global crises.

Labs/Teams: Engaged with JMU’s Center for Faculty Innovation and collaborates with international research networks like ILRI.