Project Team
Pamela Martin
Assistant Professor
Department of the Geophysical Sciences, University of Chicago
pmartin@uchicago.edu
Pamela Martin has been an assistant professor in the Department of Geophysical Sciences since 2003. She conducts research in two areas of environmental science, paleoclimatology (the study of past climate change) and the impact of food production on the environment. In 2006, Pamela co-authored a study which looked at the importance of different dietary choices on per capita greenhouse gas emissions. In the course of the study she realized there was a gap in the data available to quantify the environmental, social and economic impacts of sustainable, regional-based agriculture. Pamela Martin's Departmental Home Page
Link to Martin's full CV here and html links to all Martin's papers here.
Sabina L. Shaikh, Ph.D.
Environmental Economist
Lecturer, Public Policy Studies
Program on the Global Environment
University of Chicago, The College
Sabina Shaikh has significant experience with non-market economic valuation for environment and natural resources. She has worked on the theoretical development of valuation methods for natural resources and has applied the methodology to marine habitat, endangered species protection, forestry conversion for agricultural lands, and water quality related to Great Lakes recreation activity. She has conducted numerous surveys for primary data collection and analysis and conducted several small benefit assessments for Great Lakes restoration plans. She has published valuation studies in numerous economics journals including Economic Inquiry, The American Journal of Agricultural Economics, Land Economics, and Ecological Economics, and recently contributed to a chapter to the book The Theory and Practice of Ecosystem Service Valuation in Conservation edited by Oxford University Press. Among her other research activities, Sabina heads the Ag-Econ projects in our group and supervises meetings of our Environment, Agriculture and Food.
Link to Sabina Shaikh's Home Page and CV here.
Esther Bowen
Graduate Student
Department of the Geophysical Sciences, University of Chicago
eebowen@uchicago.edu
Esther Bowen received her B.A. in Spring 2008 for Environmental Studies from the University of Chicago; she wrote her B.A. thesis on energy and emissions impact of local versus organic food production. In addition to her academic work in this area, she has acquired field experience in sustainable agriculture and food production through her work at three sustainable farming systems, including work at rural and urban farms. She is currently a PhD student in the Department of Geophysical Sciences at the University of Chicago. While her home base is in The Geophysical Sciences, her interdisciplinary research spans environmental science, economics and policy. Esther is the co-chair of the University of Chicago's Sustainability Council and is active in community education. In addition to her other research activities, Esther coordinates the farm interns for the "Feeding the City" project.
You can read about Esther's recent farm visits here.
Julia Govis
Urban and Small-scale Organic Agriculture Research Institute (U of C)
State Lead for Illinois, National Farm to School Network
Julia Govis has nearly 30 years of experience in the agricultural arena. She has owned and operated two small farms in Illinois and has worked on other farm operations, in both livestock and food production. In 2007, she managed and certified an organic farm in Three Oaks MI and has created and maintained urban growing plots in the City of Chicago. Having authored the book, “Who’s Poisoning Our Children?”, Julia has become very well acquainted with the government entities involved in the farming industry. As a mother of four and former Montessori teacher, she understands the importance of providing children with healthy, fresh food and is why she is a interim director of the Illinois Farms to School Task Force. Julia has also completed training to inspect organic farms and organic livestock operations. Julia coordinates the integration of organic and environmental record keeping and is currently evaluating the application of organic standards in the urban environment.
Todd Schuble, M.S.
Geographic Information Systems Specialist
Senior Lecturer, Committee on Geographical Studies
Social Sciences Division
University of Chicago
Todd Schuble has been the GIS Specialist for the Social Science Division at the University of Chicago and a Senior Lecturer in the university's Committee on Geographical Studies for over 8 years. He has undergraduate and graduate degrees in the fields of Applied/Urban Geography and GIS. Todd collaborates with notable scientists and researchers from all disciplines across the university on subjects ranging from economics to agriculture and archeology to medicine. Todd's personal research revolves around transportation, real estate, and job markets. Prior to research, Todd spent time working with local government and corporations on how to maximize their potential through GIS. Todd is the technical specialist for the group's mapping efforts.
Eugene Yan, Ph.D.
Eugene Yan, PhD
Hydologist
Environmental Science Division
Argonne National Laboratory
Dr. Eugene Yan is a hydrologist/hydrogeologist in the Environmental Science Division at Argonne leading large-scale, watershed-based hydrologic researches in Upper Mississippi River Basin, Ohio River Basin, Utah, Iraq, and Egypt. His current research focus on evaluating regional impacts of alternative energy development and climate change on water availability and quality; quantifying renewable water resources in a large-scale watershed for sustainable development; characterizing/simulating the complex hydrologic systems and associated contaminant migration. Eugene is the lead on integrating the foodshed and fuelshed modeling.