Mez Baker-Medard

Mez Baker-Medard is an Assistant Professor of Environmental Studies at Middlebury College. Her research focuses on interdisciplinary approaches to natural resource governance, particularly examining conflicts between extractive industries and biodiversity conservation in Madagascar. She holds a B.A. from Smith College and a Ph.D. from the University of California Berkeley. Her work integrates human geography, conservation science, environmental politics, and gender studies, emphasizing how resource management strategies impact marginalized communities.

Her teaching spans courses on gender, health, and the environment; conservation policy; and transnational feminist conservation. She has taught at three U.S. universities and two Malagasy universities. Her fieldwork and collaborations include work with organizations like the Wildlife Conservation Society and community-based groups in Madagascar and South Africa.

Key research themes include marine fisheries management, gender equity in conservation, and the socio-political dimensions of environmental governance. Her articles address topics like sustainable fishing practices, colonial conservation legacies, and gendered resource access in Madagascar. She is affiliated with the ONJA Lab and engages in community-engaged scholarship.