Current Projects

The “Pride Farm”

I’m working with colleagues in the Department of Geology, Environment, and Sustainability at Hofstra University to develop initiatives to contribute to sustainability and food security on campus and the local community. These initiatives include campus-based and community outreach activities supporting urban agriculture and environmentally friendly native horticulture collectively called the “Pride Farm” project. The goal is to expand research, teaching, and community education in urban agriculture and engage in nutritional outreach in the communities surrounding campus.

Composting in Queens, NY: Understanding access, participation, community-based initiatives

This project explores how residents in Queens, NY manage their food and yard waste, from DSNY’s curbside composting program to backyard and community-led efforts. Through surveys and interviews, we’re examining what supports or prevents participation, with a focus on access, equity, and sustainability. The goal is to inform more inclusive and effective organic waste systems for New York City.

Assessing the opportunities and barriers of market digitalization for direct market farmers

This project investigates the impact of the widespread use of digital technologies for sales and marketing on direct-market farmers in California. As the internet increasingly mediates interactions and transactions between producers, retailers, and consumers, digital technologies are becoming a prerequisite for farmers to participate in markets. Yet, many farmers lack resources or knowhow to access these technologies. This study aims to understand the opportunities and challenges of adopting digital sales and marketing tools and whether they close or widen disparities among direct-market farmers.

Enhancing Driver Safety in Severe Weather with Virtual Reality

I am a co-PI with Dr. Jase Bernhardt in a project funded by the National Safety Council’s Road to Zero program. This project expands upon previous successful efforts leveraging bilingual (English and Spanish) virtual reality simulations to better understand the behavioral responses of drivers encountering hazardous weather conditions, specifically flash flooding and snow squalls. We develop, assess, and deploy bilingual virtual reality simulations of 1) driving a car through a flooded roadway and 2) driving a truck through a snow squall. Surveys will be used to determine simulation efficacy and answer social science research questions, prior to their deployment as an outreach tool.