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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 examining how power shapes nature–society relations. Spanning human geography, the social sciences, and environmental humanities, we examine the political, economic, and cultural forces shaping environmental transformations. Through collaborative research and public engagement, we work toward more just and equitable environmental futures for human and more-than-human worlds.
❋ curiosity, care + critical thinking❋ epistemic generosity❋ feedback + trainingGraduate student-led, faculty-supported to hold space, encourage participation, and keep ideas moving with purpose.
❋ support + connectionPolitical Ecology Lab Members
Director: Dr. Jessica DiCarlo
Current Members
Kang Li (PhD Geography)
Caitlin Quirk (MA Environmental Humanities, 2026)
Mara Scallon (MA Environmental Humanities, 2026)
Gabi Melo (MA Environmental Humanities)
Jiayi Li (PhD Geography)
Duo Lu (PhD Geography)
Talula Pontuti (PhD Geography)
Marissa Greer (PhD Geography)
Ashley Green (PhD Geography)
Maya Gomez-Coultas (MA Environmental Humanities)
Alumni
Madeline Hill (ENVST Undergraduate 2025), Extraction & access in the Oquirrh mountains
Garrett Jensen (MA Asian Studies 2024), China’s climate engagement in Samoa
About & History
Inspiration for this lab came from similar writing, reading, and lab groups across CU Boulder, UC Berkeley, and the University of British Columbia, which have shown me the importance of collaborative and supportive intellectual spaces to workshop ideas, build community, and sustain meaning and purpose in our efforts.
Regular events
Monthly lab meetings to foster a space for discussion, collaboration, and feedback. Graduate students can 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 for discussion. Topics included, for example, political economy of extraction, critical discourse studies, feminist political ecology, food & agriculture, and more.
Upcoming Events
Inaugural writing retreat... stay tuned.
Past events
AAG 2026 presentations, defense and research talk, and more!
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
Student 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 