I am an educator, researcher, and community-builder with over 35 years of experience in participatory research, rural community development, and community engaged planning. I am a Professor in the Department of Human Ecology/ Community and Regional Development, Chair of the Geography Graduate Group and Faculty Director of the Community Engagement Core, Environmental Health Science Center. I was the Founding Director of the Center for Regional Change, dedicated to building sustainable, healthy, prosperous, and equitable regions in California and beyond. I am a board-appointed member of the California Air Resources Board AB 617 Consultation Group, a former Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Interdisciplinary Research Leader, a Senior Fellow of the American Leadership Forum, and a founding board member (now Chair) of the Davis Community Action Network, dedicated to climate justice and affordable housing. Earlier in my career, I co-founded and directed Youth In Focus, a non-profit organization dedicated to youth-led research, evaluation and planning. I received a BA in Environmental Studies from Brown University, a Master of City and Regional Planning, and a Ph.D. in environmental social science from UC Berkeley.