I use spatial data and 3D images to better understand history and identity, in order to think about the future of and solve problems regarding place.
I grew up in the Valley of the Moon, a rural part of Northern California. After completing my undergraduate degrees from UC Berkeley (Urban Studies, Environmental Economics and Policy, and Geographic Information Science and Technology), I moved to Madrid, Spain to teach English. While I was there, I spent my time learning Spanish history, taking part in the culture, and using and observing urban and rural landscapes. I returned to UC Berkeley for a Master’s degree in Landscape Architecture and Environmental Planning to bridge identity and space using mapping, LiDAR, and statistics.
My thesis, noted for its innovativeness, rigor, and timeliness, was titled Criminalized Landscape: Oakland's Historically and Socially Constructed Image of Criminality. In it, I studied the relationship between Oakland's policies of criminalization over the past century toward people of color and the manifestation of those policies in the landscape.
Now, as a Geraldine K. Scott Traveling Fellow, I am headed to journey through 7 Southern States to uncover and document lynching landscapes to remember victims and work toward truth and reconciliation, especially as it occurs in place.
When I am not wandering the world, I live near Lake Merritt, Oakland, California and when I am not working hard, I spend my time reading novels, news, and non-fiction, studying history, photographing landscapes, cooking, and riding my bike.