Becca Nixon (she/her), Assistant Professor Department of Geography and Spatial Sciences
I am an environmental social scientist focused on the social dimensions of climate change. I use mixed methods (i.e., qualitative and quantitative approaches) and draw on political ecology, social psychology, and human geography to examine environmental decision-making across the individual, household, and community scales. I received my Ph.D. in Environmental Social Science from Purdue University in 2021 as well as two master’s degrees in Sustainable Agriculture and Community and Regional Planning from Iowa State University in 2017.
Using a lens of intersectional climate justice, my research program focuses on three primary areas of investigation: 1) social dimensions of environmental and climate action in coastal communities; 2) socio-cognitive and cultural drivers of everyday adaptation in rural and border areas: and 3) inclusive climate planning and support for the LGBTQ+ community.
My research is grounded in interdisciplinary collaboration, driven by community-engagement, and, as a scholar – educator, centered on student engagement. Specifically, I work with communities throughout North America and Central and South Asia in partnership with NGOs, research institutions, government offices, and residents to co-create research projects that center around practice and policy-relevant questions, use context-appropriate methods, and produce accessible, actionable outcomes.
