Research

Researching Cross-Cultural Exchange for Sustainable Rural Futures

My interdisciplinary research explores how cross-cultural exchange, rural entrepreneurship, and community-based learning shape the ways people and communities adapt, innovate, and create opportunities.

With a particular focus on the North Atlantic region, my work is grounded in listening, relationship-building, and community-centered methods that honor local knowledge and lived experience.

Research Areas

Cross-Cultural Exchange & Leadership Development - Exploring how immersive experiences develop leadership capacity, intercultural understanding, and collaborative problem-solving.

  • Cross-cultural leadership programs

  • Rural entrepreneurial exchanges

  • Student exchange experiences

  • Interdisciplinary learning

Rural Entrepreneurship & Community Innovation - Exploring how rural entrepreneurs and communities create sustainable livelihoods and respond to change.

  • Wool entrepreneurs

  • Entrepreneurial ecosystems

  • Rural women entrepreneurs

  • Community resilience

Place, Culture & Sustainable Communities - Examining how communities preserve knowledge, adapt, and create futures rooted in place.

  • Greenland and Iceland communities

  • Indigenous perspectives

  • Island and coastal communities

  • Sustainable tourism

  • Blue economy

  • Cultural heritage preservation

  • Sustainable rural development

Current Research Projects

  • Engaging with partners in Norway, Finland, and Greenland to support Arctic resilience and sustainable economic development by safeguarding, documenting, and activating native Old Norse sheep breeds through mapping, wool trait analysis, cultural heritage, integration, and collaborative value-chain development.

  • Exploring opportunities for a cross-cultural exchange program for North Atlantic wool entrepreneurs.

  • Exploring the experiences of sheep farmers in Iceland through a political ecology framework.

Research Capabilities and Field Experience

I am experienced in all facets of the research process, bringing a unique blend of rigorous qualitative methodologies and structured project oversight to interdisciplinary teams:

  • Fieldwork & Data Collection - Conducting qualitative interviews, leading community-based research events, and gathering field data in rural and subarctic contexts.

  • Analysis & Literature - Conducting comprehensive literature reviews, analyzing complex qualitative data, and maintaining data organization systems.

  • Project Management & Leadership - Writing grants, mentoring research assistants, and managing cross-functional projects, including leading research team meetings and ensuring clear stakeholder reporting.

  • Dissemination - Writing articles for peer-reviewed publications and presenting findings to local community stakeholders and global academic audiences.

Explore a Collaboration

If you are looking for an interdisciplinary co-investigator, field researcher, or qualitative lead for an upcoming grant or project, let’s connect.

Contact Me to Explore Research Collaborations

Fellowships, Awards & Invited Academic Programs

  • GRO Scholar | 2024-2025

    Research study exploring opportunities for developing a cross-cultural exchange program for sheep farmers and wool industry professionals in the North Atlantic.

    Learn More About the GRO Scholar Program

  • OLLI Fellow | 2022-2023

    Research exploring the role of women entrepreneurs in rural economic development.

    Additional study exploring elderly experiences with loneliness and lifelong learning in rural, Northern communities.

    Learn More About the OLLI Fellowship Program

  • NESTVAL Graduate Student Research Paper Award | 10-2023

    Award received for presentation of study on perseverance and adaptation in South Greenland farming communities.

    Learn More About NESTVAL

  • International Graduate Student Research Cohort (IGSRC) Program | 2022-2023

    Program that brings together students and faculty from universities in Maine and across the North Atlantic region to collaborate on year-long research projects resulting in publishable papers and a joint presentation at the Arctic Circle Assembly (ACA) in Reykjavik, Iceland.

    Learn More About the IGSRC

  • Arctic Data Stories - Woodwell Climate Research Center and Harvard Kennedy School | 2022

    Workshop series designed to engage students in data visualization for data-driven policy making through interactive storytelling.

    Exploring the impact of colonization on Inuit in Canada and Greenland.

    Learn More About the Arctic Initiative at Harvard Kennedy School's Belfer Center

Publications

  • Learning Across Fjords and Disciplines: A Critical Reflection on Graduate Research, Fieldwork, and Interdisciplinary Collaboration

    A critical reflection on my experience as a graduate research assistant conducting international fieldwork with an interdisciplinary team over a five-year period.

    Exchanges: The Interdisciplinary Research Journal - June 2026

    Submitted

  • Ignored, Hidden, Marginalized or Invisible: Indigenous Textile and Material Practices with Renewed Relevance 

    Book chapter exploring ignored, hidden, marginalized, and invisible indigenous textile and material practices with renewed relevance of the Sea Sámi of Northern Norway, the Forest Finns of Sweden and Norway, and the Inuit of Greenland.

    Unforgetting: Reviving and Reimagining a Fashion Pluriverse (Book) - June 2026

    In Review

  • Exploring the Value of International Research Experience for Leadership Development

    This study explored the lived experiences of students who participated in an international graduate student research program, the University of Southern Maine’s International Graduate Student Research Cohort (IGSRC) program, to gain insight into the leadership development they experienced through participation in the program.

    Dissertation - May 2026

    Publication in Process

  • Voices of Experience: Greenlanders Discuss the Surge of Researchers in their Country

    A study focusing on research fatigue and participant-centered research approaches in heavily researched communities.

    Journal of Community Engagement and Scholarship - May 2026

    Accepted

  • Vulnerability and Adaptation on the Icecap’s Edge: Farming Communities in Subarctic South Greenland

    An in-depth qualitative analysis of sheep farming communities in subarctic South Greenland adapting to cultural, social, and economic changes.

    Polar Geography - September 2024

    Link to Article

  • Life on the Island: Collage Portraiture and Storytelling as Community Building

    Portrays the experiences and impact of using arts-based research methods in an island community.

    Journal of Community Engagement and Scholarship - July 2024

    Link to Article

  • Examining the Experiences of Small, Independent Grocers during the COVID-19 Pandemic

    In this research brief, we examine the resilience of independent grocers in Maine in light of the COVID-19 pandemic.

    Maine Policy Review - October 2022

    Link to Article

  • The Blueprint for the Blue Economy in the Arctic Must Focus on Communities and Recognize the Work of Women

    Highlighting the foundational nature of communities in the blue economy and the invisible role women have played in the blue economy.

    Maine North Atlantic Institute - October 2022

  • South Greenland Tourism Management Report

    Research undertaken at request of South Greenland UNESCO World Heritage Site staff with a goal of student learning through real-world research.

    October 2023

  • A Taste of Two Worlds Cookbook

    Collaborated with tourism and hospitality students from Maine and Greenland to create an award-winning cookbook and culinary community event in Greenland with the Arctic Education Alliance

    April 2023

    Link to Cookbook

Conference Presentations

  • Thinking Matters - Portland, ME | 4/2026

    Poster Presentation: Cross-cultural Leadership Development Process: The Layers, the Icing, the Cake

  • International Leadership Association - Prague, Czech Republic | 10/2025

    Pecha Kucha: Weaving Threads of Opportunity: Exploring Cross-Cultural Entrepreneurial Exchange Programs

    Cafecito Roundtable: How can leaders use connection to unlock collective wisdom for the future of work?

  • Thinking Matters - Portland, ME | 4/2025

    Presentation: Exploring Opportunities for Developing a Cross-Cultural Exchange Program for North Atlantic Wool Entrepreneurs

    Presentation: Perseverance and Adaptation in South Greenland Farming Communities

  • International Leadership Association - Chicago, IL | 11/2024

    Pecha Kucha: Perseverance, Presence, and Place: Highlighting Unrecognized Leaders in Rural Communities

    Cafecito Roundtable: Can cross-cultural exchanges of rural women entrepreneurs facilitate leadership development?

  • 42N: The New England Forum for Arctic Collaborations - Portland, ME | 11/2024

    Panel Moderator: Student & Early Career Professionals: Building Networks for Arctic Engagement

  • Rural Issues Symposium, Orono, ME | 11/2024

    Poster Presentation: Exploring Entrepreneurial Ecosystems in Rural Maine

  • North Atlantic Forum - Letterfrack, Ireland | 6/2024

    Oral Presentation: Beyond Traditional Approaches: A Model for Conducting Reciprocal, Relational Research in Rural Communities.

    Poster Presentation: Unrecognized Leaders in Rural Communities: Women Entrepreneurs and Their Contributions to Economic and Civic Well-Being.

  • UArctic Congress - Bodø, Norway | 5/2024

    Oral Presentation: Learning from Rural Women Entrepreneurs: The Role of Entrepreneurial Ecosystems in Creating Sustainable Livelihoods and Thriving Communities.

    Poster Presentations: (1) Catalyzing Change by Centering Indigenous Perspectives in Sustainable Tourism. (2) Assessing Climate Shift Vulnerabilities to Remote Sheep Farming Communities in South Greenland.

  • 52nd International Arctic Workshop - University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA | 3/2024

    Oral Presentation: Vulnerability and Adaptation on the Icecap’s Edge: Farming Communities in Subarctic South Greenland

    Poster Presentation: Centering Indigenous Perspectives in Sustainable Arctic Tourism

  • 42oN: The New England Forum for Arctic Collaborations, Portland, ME | 11/2023

    Poster presentation: Perseverance and Adaptation in South Greenland Farming Communities.

  • American Association of Geographers NESTVAL Regional Meeting - Portland, ME | 10/2023

    Oral Presentation: Perseverance and Adaptation in South Greenland Farming Communities.

    *Received Graduate Student Research Paper Award.

  • Arctic Circle Assembly, Reykjavik, Iceland | 10/2022

    Panel presentation: The Blueprint for the Blue Economy in the Arctic Must Focus on Communities and Recognize the Work of Women.

  • Thinking Matters - University of Southern Maine, Portland, Maine | 4/2022

    Poster presentation on master’s thesis: Identifying the Support Women Entrepreneurs in Rural Maine Need from Each Other and Their Communities to Thrive