Maria Claudia Lopez

Maria Claudia Lopez is an Associate Professor in the Department of Community Sustainability at Michigan State University (MSU), specializing in natural resource management, environmental economics, and collective action. Her research spans rural communities in Colombia, Spain, Peru, Costa Rica, USA, Bolivia, Rwanda, Uganda, and Brazil.

• PhD in Resource Economics, University of Massachusetts, Amherst
• MA in Rural Development, Universidad Javeriana, Colombia
• Postdoctoral Fellowship, Workshop in Political Theory and Policy Analysis, Indiana University (working with Elinor Ostrom)

Her work integrates field experiments, institutional analysis, and participatory research to study community-based resource governance. Recent projects include hydropower impacts in the Brazilian Amazon, Flint water crisis effects on food systems, and Michigan water users’ groups.

Her research outputs focus on coffee economics, policy frameworks, and urban/rural sustainability. Key journals include PNAS, Global Environmental Change, and World Development.

• 2024 Distinguished Partnership Award for International Community Engagement
• 2022 Outstanding Faculty Mentor Award (MSU Graduate School)
• 2023 CANR Global Scholar in Research

Maria is an editor-in-chief of the International Journal of the Commons and mentors students in natural resource management, conservation, and collective action. Her work has secured major grants, including a $26M NSF grant for hydropower research in the Brazilian Amazon.