People
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Brian E. Robinson, PhDAssistant Professor
Brian E. Robinson is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Geography. His research looks at how people meet their needs through use of ecosystems and natural resources, and the role this plays in development in poorer regions of the world. His methods draw from environmental and development economics, development geography, ecology, and land systems science. He holds an interdisciplinary environmental PhD from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, masters degrees in Environmental Policy and Water Resource Engineering from MIT, and an undergraduate degree in Earth Sciences from Georgia Tech. When not on campus, he can be found doing fieldwork, hanging with his family, or running on a trail somewhere.
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Holly CroninPhD Student
Holly’s research focuses on understanding the dynamics of institutional innovation in emerging seaweed aquaculture industries and involves fieldwork in the United States and Central America. She is interested in how relationships between human communities and marine environments can create opportunities for sustainable development in coastal regions. Prior to embarking on her PhD studies, Holly completed a master's degree in organizational dynamics at the University of Pennsylvania, worked in the private sector for a startup pioneering sustainable seafood purchasing, and conducted ethnographic research in fishing communities in Atlantic Canada. At McGill, she is a member of the interdisciplinary Biodiversity, Ecosystem Services & Sustainability (BESS) Program and the Neotropical Environment Option (NEO) offered in collaboration with the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute in Panama.
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Luci Lu
PhD Student
Luci’s research looks at the changes in grasslands and pastoral livelihoods. Currently she is focusing on the temporal-spatial vegetation dynamics of the Mongolian Plateau and examining the influence of shocks on livestock and agricultural production. She obtained her Master of Arts degree in geography from Miami University with her thesis on herders’ vulnerability and coping strategies in Western China. Luci previously worked for an environmental NGO in the Gobi Desert on resource conservation and semi-arid region agriculture. Her hobbies outside of research include badminton and biking.
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Sai Ma
PhD Student
Sai is a PhD candidate of China University of Geosciences in land resource management, visiting McGill as a Graduate Research Trainee. She currently studies the interactions among human well being, ecosystem services and land use, trying to come up with more sustainable ways for people to live in harmony with their local environment. Her focus is on ecosystem services changes in the Miyun Reservoir, analysis of the spatial disparity between ecosystem services supply and demand, and strategies for possible solutions to improve eco-environment conservation and land development. She also received her bachelor’s degree from China University of Geosciences. Living in Montreal, she has learned to enjoy the cold weather and winter activities like skiing and skating.
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Rachel Maynard
MSc Student
Rachel’s research interests center on the dynamic interactions between social and ecological systems over time and space. She examines these interactions through participatory scenario planning with rural populations to explore place-based approaches to plausible future regional development plans. Her study area is the Miyun watershed in China. Her previous experience includes a background in environmental valuation as a part of her involvement in the Science Honors Innovation Program while pursuing her Bachelor of Arts degree in geography at Montclair State University (New Jersey, USA). Rachel enjoys hiking, mountain biking and reading in her spare time.
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David Crook
MSc Student
David is interested in the decision-making processes of people regarding their use of ecosystem services. He is currently working on a master's thesis investigating grazing livelihoods on the grasslands of Inner Mongolia, China. His research looks at how herders weigh trade-offs between herd size and government policy benefits, as well as how they modify their herd sizes in response to environmental shocks. David completed his Bachelor of Arts in plant science at McGill's MacDonald Campus. Other interests of David’s include history, music, traveling (especially in China) and very amateur cross-country skiing.
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Marina SmailesResearch Assistant
Marina’s research focuses on ecosystem services mapping, specifically local demand for ecosystem services in the Miyun watershed in China. She is interested in analyzing the spatial fluctuations and discrepancies between different forms of ecosystem service valuation and their potential policy implications. Marina recently completed her Bachelor of Arts and Science in sustainability, science, and society at McGill University and has previously worked on endangered and invasive species management in federal park lands. Some of her favourite Montreal activities include going on picnics in the park and skating outdoors.
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