My research engages with protected areas declared by Indigenous Peoples and local communities, often called ICCAs or Territories of Life. With experience working in Indigenous conservation both with Indigenous Karen people in Southeast Asia and First Nations in Canada, I have returned to the academy to pursue further research with the Salween Peace Park, a large ICCA being developed by the Karen people in the autonomous territory of Kawthoolei on the border between Thailand and Burma (Myanmar) in Southeast Asia.

Congratulations to Dr. Don Nelson on receiving a grant from the National Science Foundation for project titled, "Landscape Exchange Network for Socio-environmental systems (LENS)!" Dr. Nelson is a Co- Principal Investigator and UGA Anthropology PhD student, Bruno Ubiali, is senior personnel on the project, along with Co- Principal Investigators Meredith Steele, Matthew Williamson, Elsa Ordway, and Principal Investigator, Andrew Elmore.

As a scholar, I am committed to the revitalization and representation of indigenous perspectives in both academic research and narratively oriented forms. And, as a writer, I am invested in storytelling and the correction of the gross historic misrepresentations of the complexities of indigenous societies. Through my research, I wish to frame the intersections of narrative device, conservation sustainability and the relevant socio-cultural realities of indigenous populations both past and present.

Congratulations to Dr. German on becoming the new director for the Center for Integrative Conservation Research! The CICR was founded in 2007 and supports innovative conservation and sustainability research and training through its interdisciplinary collaborations. The CICR also coordinates the Integrative Conservation (ICON) PhD program, which is offered through five UGA departments (anthropology, ecology, forestry and natural resources, geography, and marine sciences). Learn more about Dr.

UGA Research spotlights the Lab of Archaeology in their recent article titled, "Keepers of history: UGA’s Archaeology Lab preserves relics of Georgia’s past." This feature highlights the lab's vast array of artifacts, their ability to transition during the pandemic, and their work with the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA). Read the full UGA Research feature here.

Department of Anthropology alumna, Carla Hadden (PhD '15), was recently appointed as the director for UGA's Center for Applied Isotope Studies. The CAIS is the largest isotope geochemistry lab in the United States. Learn more about Dr. Hadden and CAIS by reading the full UGA Research article. Congratulations to Dr. Hadden on this exciting new position!