Faculty Advisors

Tufts students interested in the Environmental Studies Program regularly worry about the selection of an advisor. During their first semester at Tufts, students will participate in one of five different pre-major advising programs and will retain this academic advisor until they declare their major, usually during the Fall or Spring semester of their sophomore year.

Many ENVS students come to Tufts specifically because they are interested in Environmental Studies, and they often come to Tufts with a basic understanding of their interests. Some students don't realize their interest in ENVS until later in the program. We in ENVS recommend that any student interested in the Environmental Studies declare as soon as possible to ensure that they receive the best possible consultation on achieving their dual-major. Students can declare ENVS earlier than their other major, generally.

ENVS Program Associates are Available to Help

If you need assistance selecting an ENVS advisor, take a moment to think about your particular interests related to Environmental Studies and the ENVS Track that you are most interested in. Knowing this basic information about yourself will help you select an appropriate advisor. This will not only streamline your process, it will align you with the faculty member who can provide the best advice on your course of study.

Once you have done this, email the faculty member who most likely matches your interests and ask her/him if s/he is willing to be your advisor. We have noted our recommendations by track below, through there may be details of your interests that might make you conclude that another advisor may be appropriate. Once s/he has agreed, remember to complete a Declaration of Major/Change of Advisor Form. This will enable the ENVS staff to track and assist you in your development through the program. For further questions or to request assistance on advisor selection, contact the ENVS Program office or call 617-627-3553.

List of Faculty Advisors

Track I: Environmental Science

John Durant
Civil and Environmental Engineering
Expertise: Air and water pollution

David Gute
Civil and Environmental Engineering
Expertise: Environmental health, Environmental and social Justice

Andrew Kemp
Earth and Ocean Sciences
Expertise: Sea-level research, Wetlands, Coastal management, Climate change

Colin M. Orians
Biology & Environmental Studies
Expertise: Plant Biology, Tropical Ecology, Food systems, Conservation

J. Michael Reed
Biology
Expertise: Conservation, Habitat Loss, Animal Behavior, Biodiversity

Jack Ridge
Earth and Ocean Sciences
Expertise: Climate change, Environmental geology

Learn more about Track I

Track II: Sustainability, Policy, and Equity

Alexander Blanchette
Anthropology
Expertise: Industrial agriculture, Ecology, Ethnography of labor, Food systems

Caleb Scoville
Sociology
Expertise: Environmental sociology, Science and technology studies, Political sociology, Economic sociology, Social and political theory

Ujjayant Chakravorty
Economics
Expertise: Resource and environmental economics, Energy and development, Food systems

Tatiana Chudakova
Anthropology
Expertise: Medical anthropology, science and technology, environment, ethnicity and indigeneity, nationalism, post-socialism.

Patrick Forber
Philosophy
Expertise: Ecology, Evolutionary biology, Philosophy of biology, Philosophy of science

Nimah Mazaheri
Political Science
Expertise: Comparative political economy, Developing countries, Oil and mining sectors, Government-business relations

Colin M. Orians
Biology & Environmental Studies
Expertise: Plant Biology, Tropical Ecology, Food systems, Conservation

Alisha Rankin
History
Expertise: Early modern Europe, History of science and medicine, Women's history, History of the body and sexuality

George Scarlett
Child Studies and Human Development
Expertise: Child-Nature Connection, Ecological literacy Development

Ninian Stein
Environmental Studies
Expertise: Environmental Policy, Environmental Justice, Environmental Communication, Landscape Change, Archaeology, Environmental Anthropology

Learn more about Track II

Track III: Environmental Communications

Silvia Bottinelli
Visual and Critical Studies
Expertise: History and theory of environmental art, Eco-art, Food-based art, Art and environmental activism, Social practice and public art

Julie Dobrow
Child Study and Human Development
Interdisciplinary Studies
Expertise: Media literacy, Children and media, Ethnicity/gender and media, Adolescents and media use

Colin M. Orians
Biology & Environmental Studies
Expertise: Plant Biology, Tropical Ecology, Food systems, Conservation

Alisha Rankin
History
Expertise: Early modern Europe, History of science and medicine, Women's history, History of the body and sexuality

Modhumita Roy
English
Expertise: Environmental humanities, Anglophone literatures of Africa and the Africa diaspora, South Asian literature, Feminist theory, Literary theory

George Scarlett
Child Studies and Human Development
Expertise: Child-Nature Connection, Ecological literacy Development

Ninian Stein
Environmental Studies
Expertise: Environmental Policy, Environmental Justice, Environmental Communication, Landscape Change, Archaeology, Environmental Anthropology

Markus Wilczek
German
Expertise: Literature and the Environment, Discourses of Sustainability; Literary and Cultural Theory, Theories of Reading; Intersections of Literature, Science, and Philosophy; Media Studies

Learn more about Track III

Track IV: Food Systems, Nutrition, and the Environment

Alexander Blanchette
Anthropology
Expertise: Industrial agriculture, Ecology, Ethnography of labor, Food systems

Silvia Bottinelli
Visual and Critical Studies
Expertise: History and theory of environmental art, Eco-art, Food-based art, Art and environmental activism, Social practice and public art

Ujjayant Chakravorty
Economics
Expertise: Resource and environmental economics, Energy and development, Food systems

Kyle Emerick
Economics
Expertise: Agricultural and Resource Economics, Technology adoption by farmers, Economics of agricultural development, Development Economics, Applied Econometrics

Colin M. Orians
Biology and Environmental Studies
Expertise: Plant Biology, Tropical Ecology, Food systems, Conservation

Cathy Stanton
Anthropology
Expertise: Food systems, Intersection of cultural anthropology and public history, advocacy and activism

Ninian Stein
Environmental Studies
Expertise: Environmental Policy, Environmental Justice, Environmental Communication, Landscape Change, Archaeology, Environmental Anthropology

Benjamin Wolfe
Biology
Expertise: Food microbiology, Evolution, Metagenomics, Comparative genomics/transcriptomics, Genome engineering, In situ community reconstructions

Learn more about Track IV

Track V: Environmental Humanities

Silvia Bottinelli
Visual and Critical Studies
Expertise: History and theory of environmental art, Eco-art, Food-based art, Art and environmental activism, Social practice and public art

Colin M. Orians
Biology & Environmental Studies
Expertise: Plant Biology, Tropical Ecology, Food systems, Conservation

Modhumita Roy
English
Expertise: Environmental humanities, Anglophone literatures of Africa and the Africa diaspora, South Asian literature, Feminist theory, Literary theory

Ninian Stein
Environmental Studies
Expertise: Environmental Policy, Environmental Justice, Environmental Communication, Landscape Change, Archaeology, Environmental Anthropology

Markus Wilczek
German
Expertise: Literature and the Environment, Discourses of Sustainability; Literary and Cultural Theory, Theories of Reading; Intersections of Literature, Science, and Philosophy; Media Studies

James Rice
History
Expertise: Early America, Native American history, Environmental History

Learn more about Track V