Name: Brianna Porter
Email: bnporter@buffalo.edu
Program: Cultural Anthropology; PhD
Advisor: Vasiliki Neofotistos
Academic Interest: I am interested primarily in environmental anthropology, specifically the contradictory nature and effects of shrimp farming policy. My geographical area of study, Thailand, highlights the complexities surrounding shrimp aquaculture certification and the management of environmental challenges. I am also interested in outcomes that arise from friction between local, state, and global actors in the production of food.
Key Words: Environment, Political Ecology, Certification, Chanthaburi, Thailand, Shrimping, Aquaculture
Name: Elias Plata Espino
Email: eliaspla@buffalo.edu
Program: Cultural Anthropology; PhD
Advisor: Jaume Franquesa
Academic Interest:
My overarching interest is the relationships between society & nature. I am currently exploring what leads social groups to engage with specific strategies of forest governance, as the latter allow these groups to continue their collective life projects in the Sierra Tarahumara of northern Mexico. My other interests revolve around traditional practices (hunting, milpa), indigenous cosmovision (Rarámuri and Yucatec Maya) and dogs in human societies.
Key Words: Environmental governance, forests, political ecology, Sierra Tarahumara, Mexico