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at the University of Utah
Political Ecology Lab
What is political ecology?The Political Ecology Lab is an interdisciplinary research community studying how power, inequality, and knowledge shape environmental change. We investigate the political and economic forces that structure nature–society relations while imagining more just futures for human and more-than-human worlds.
The Political Ecology Lab is an interdisciplinary research community examining how power shapes nature–society relations. Spanning human geography, the social sciences, and environmental humanities, the Lab explores the political, economic, and cultural forces driving environmental change. Through collaborative research and public engagement, we work toward more just and equitable environmental futures.
The Political Ecology Lab is a collaborative community for scholars interested in the politics of environmental change. Our work examines how power, knowledge, and representation shape human–environment relations across local and global contexts. Together, we develop research and public scholarship that advances environmental justice.
❋ Intentional AcademiaText
❋ Collaborative EnergyConnection is a core part of the process. You’ll learn just as much from the group as from the content itself.
❋ Feedback + TrainingGraduate student-led, faculty-supported to hold space, encourage participation, and keep ideas moving with purpose.
❋ SupportiveWe prioritize comfort, safety, and respect—so you can show up as you are and fully engage in the process.
Political Ecology Lab Members
Director: Dr. Jessica DiCarlo
Faculty Affiliates: Jeff Rose??? Tim Collins?? Brett Clark?? Matt Fry, others??
Current Members:
Kang Li (PhD Geography)
Caitlin Quirk (MA Environmental Humanities)
Mara Scallon (MA Environmental Humanities)
Duo Lu (PhD Geography)
Talula Pontuti (PhD Geography)
Marissa Greer ?
Ashley Green ?
Matt Williams ?
Maya Gomez-Coultas?
Rachel Kunselman? Ruby Gary?
Alumni:
Madeline Hill (ENVST Undergraduate), Extraction & access in the Oquirrh mountains
Garrett Jensen (MA Asian Studies), China’s climate engagement in Samoa
About & History
Regular events
Monthly lab meeting to foster a consistent place for discussion, collaboration, and feedback. Graduate students usually present a “work-in-progress” (grants, data collection tool, conference preparation, qualifying exam materials, paper outlines or drafts) and receive feedback, or graduate students propose a book, article, or topic of discussion related to political ecology. Topics included, for example, political economy of extraction, critical discourse studies, feminist political ecology, food & agriculture, and more.
Upcoming Events
AAG 2026 presentations!
Inaugural writing retreat... stay tuned.
Past events
O.U.C.H. - The Oquirrh Ultra Challenge
Belonging in the Oquirrhs, Library Presentation, 2025
Writing retreat at Taft Nicholson Center (2025), Revisiting the Political Ecology and Agrarian Studies of Southeast Asia
Projects
Hidden in Plain Sight: The Politics of Development, Extraction, and Environmental Protection in the Oquirrh Mountains
Cait Quirk, Mara Scallon, Maddie Hill, & Jessica DiCarlo
The Oquirrh Mountains in the Salt Lake Valley of Utah extend 30 miles from north to south and 15 miles wide, dividing Toole and Salt Lake Valleys, and running up to the southern edge of the Great Salt Lake from the northern edge of Utah Lake. Less than an hour away from Utah’s capital, the Oquirrhs are constantly in sight of much of Salt Lake City, yet infrequently visited or studied compared to the Wasatch Mountain range.
We approached this research project with the aim of understanding the social, cultural, political, historical, and other forces that shape perceptions and uses of the Oquirrhs. What has made the Oquirrhs overlooked? What property regimes make parts of the Oquirrhs (in)accessible to the public and why, and what patterns of access and land control led to the current situation? What are the histories of the range, including and beyond mining? How have the uses of the mountains affected environmental health? Why have conservation efforts focused on the Wasatch Mountains and not the Oquirrhs?
Articles are in progress, and our storymap can be found here: https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/a8b1c142de3442428b7d42d00d550327