Joel E. Correia

(MENAFN- The Conversation)

• Associate Professor in Human Dimensions of Natural Resources, Colorado State University

Profile Articles

I am currently an Associate Professor in the Human Dimensions of Natural Resources Department at Colorado State University in Fort Collins, Colorado. Before joining CSU, I was an assistant professor of Latin American Studies at University of Florida.

Collaboration, co-learning, and building relationships across knowledge communities defines my professional journey. With 20+ years of applied work and academic research, I have had the opportunity to secure and manage $2.1+ million in competitive grants and fellowships to advance innovative research, including support from the National Science Foundation (NSF), Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation Andes-Amazon Initiative, the American Council of Learned Societies, and Fulbright. Through this research, I have had opportunities to inform Indigenous rights law, conservation policy and financing decisions, and mentor 30+ graduate students. My research group, the FRONTERAS Collective, advances studies focused on conservation and development in threatened forest systems across the Americas. I also serve as co-founder and co-director of the Just Social-Ecological Transformations in Latin America Program, where I mentor students in collaborative, transdisciplinary science. The efforts described here have been recognized with numerous awards, from college-level recognition to international professional organizations.

As a human-environment geographer, my work transgresses disciplinary boundaries through collaborative field-based studies, action research, and engaged teaching. I've conducted extensive international fieldwork across Latin America with in-depth experience in the Paraguayan Chaco and Ecuadorian Amazon. In my research, I often partner closely with Indigenous communities and civil society organizations through collaborative, long-term efforts. I specialize in qualitative, ethnographic, and mixed-methods research design with community engagement to produce community relevant insights. These experiences helped me develop strong skills in cross-cultural communication, collaborative research methodologies, and interdisciplinary team leadership. I am fluent in English, Spanish, and Guaraní with working understanding of Portuguese.

Experience

• 2023–present Assistant Professor, Colorado State University
• 2018–2022 Assistant Professor, University of Florida
• 2017–2018 Postdoctoral Research Associate, University of Arizona

Education

• 2017 University of Colorado Boulder, PHD in Geography
• 2012 University of Arizona, MA in Latin American Studies

Professional Memberships

• American Association of Geographers
• Latin American Studies Association
• Conference of Latin Americanist Geographers

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