Q&A with Alana Rader, Assistant Professor of Environmental Studies
Alana Rader’s research focuses on patterns of landscape regeneration in integrated social-environment systems and from a critical physical geography perspective.
When and how did you develop an interest in your field?
My interest and excitement for Environmental Studies developed way back when I was an undergraduate research assistant performing field work with a professor in coastal British Columbia. My lab worked with an organization to implement a coastal restoration strategy after a big winter storm. Back in the lab, we had modeled the perfect restoration strategy that aligned with the organization’s description of the problems, and we were ready to start! However out in the community, it became clear that the organization’s vision, and therefore our model, of what a restored coastal landscape should look like and provide did not match local community members’ visions and goals for that same landscape. This difference in what landscape means, looks like, and what we hope for it remains an important creative tension in nearly all settings, and I love exploring this with communities!
What excites you most about joining the L&C community?
One of the aspects that excites me about joining the L&C community is the focus on interdisciplinary research, education, and community amongst faculty, students, and staff. As a trained Geographer, it is hard for me to silo the biophysical environment, from socio-economic and political processes, from art, philosophy, and histories of the humanities. In an interdisciplinary community like L&C, we don’t necessarily have to!
What kind of hobbies or special activities do you enjoy outside of work?
Outside of work life, you can find me riding my bike, gardening, or in the winter months, skiing!
