Robert Darst

Robert Darst is an Associate Professor of Political Science at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, specializing in international relations, environmental politics, and human rights. He holds a PhD from the University of California, Berkeley (1994) and teaches undergraduate courses including PSC 385: Politics of Global Climate Change and PSC 477: Seminar in International Relations.

His research focuses on the intersection of environmental concerns and international politics, with particular emphasis on climate change diplomacy, environmental human rights, and the political dimensions of global environmental challenges. Professor Darst examines topics ranging from international climate negotiations to the relationship between environmental change and conflict, as well as policies for climate adaptation and mitigation across governance levels.

Professor Darst is the author of the influential book Smokestack Diplomacy: Cooperation and Conflict in East-West Environmental Politics (MIT Press, 2001) and has published numerous articles in leading academic journals including Environment, Journal of Human Rights, Environmental Politics, Journal of Refugee Studies, and Global Environmental Politics.

His scholarly work demonstrates consistent engagement with critical questions at the nexus of environmental policy and international relations, contributing significantly to understanding how political systems respond to global environmental challenges and how international cooperation can be fostered in addressing transnational environmental problems.