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Nadine Heck
Assistant Professor I am a human-environment geographer with a specialization in marine conservation and natural resource management. My work draws on theories and models in governance, ecology, decision-making, and social-ecological systems to study social-ecological dynamics in the context of marine protected areas and fisheries. I employ a mix a mix of geospatial and social science methods to explore marine management and governance issues at multiple spatial scales ranging from local to global. My work is highly collaborative and I work closely with local communities and government agencies to bring theoretical perspectives to existing management challenges. CV |
Graduate Students
Emmanuel Maldonado-Gonzalez (PhD Integrated Coastal Sciences)
Emmanuel is a PhD student focusing on community well-being, storms and nature based adaptation in Puerto Rico.
Emmanuel is a PhD student focusing on community well-being, storms and nature based adaptation in Puerto Rico.
Postdocs
Alexander C. Smith, PhD
Alex completed a Ph.D. in Geography and Geospatial Science at Oregon State University, utilizing a mix of geospatial and qualitative methods to study long term forest change dynamics, community based natural resource management, land abandonment, and migration in Nepal. He received a MA in Forestry from the University of Montana on community forest management, climate change, and carbon payments in Nepal and a BA in Geography from the University of Washington-Seattle. At ECU, Alex continues to utilize qualitative and quantitative social science methods to study ecosystem based adaptation in complex social-ecological systems. His work is funded by the NSF funded project on Ecosystem-based Adaptation to Extreme Events in Mangrove-reef Social-ecological Systems.
Alex completed a Ph.D. in Geography and Geospatial Science at Oregon State University, utilizing a mix of geospatial and qualitative methods to study long term forest change dynamics, community based natural resource management, land abandonment, and migration in Nepal. He received a MA in Forestry from the University of Montana on community forest management, climate change, and carbon payments in Nepal and a BA in Geography from the University of Washington-Seattle. At ECU, Alex continues to utilize qualitative and quantitative social science methods to study ecosystem based adaptation in complex social-ecological systems. His work is funded by the NSF funded project on Ecosystem-based Adaptation to Extreme Events in Mangrove-reef Social-ecological Systems.
Fatemeh Rezaei, PhD
Fatemeh Rezaei is a postdoctoral researcher in the Department of Coastal Studies of East Carolina University. With a Ph.D. in Industrial Engineering her research integrates modeling, computational analysis, and decision-making frameworks to address sustainable supply chains, and coastal protection strategies. Dr. Rezaei’s work has been published in esteemed journals like Forest Policy and Economics, and she has presented at leading conferences such as INFORMS and SOFOR GIS. She is particularly interested in applying her expertise to interdisciplinary research and academic excellence. Her postdoctoral research focuses on agent-based modeling of social-ecological feedbacks in coral reef-mangrove systems in the context of coastal hazards in Fiji and Puerto Rico. Her work is funded by the NSF funded project on Ecosystem-based Adaptation to Extreme Events in Mangrove-reef Social-ecological Systems.
Fatemeh Rezaei is a postdoctoral researcher in the Department of Coastal Studies of East Carolina University. With a Ph.D. in Industrial Engineering her research integrates modeling, computational analysis, and decision-making frameworks to address sustainable supply chains, and coastal protection strategies. Dr. Rezaei’s work has been published in esteemed journals like Forest Policy and Economics, and she has presented at leading conferences such as INFORMS and SOFOR GIS. She is particularly interested in applying her expertise to interdisciplinary research and academic excellence. Her postdoctoral research focuses on agent-based modeling of social-ecological feedbacks in coral reef-mangrove systems in the context of coastal hazards in Fiji and Puerto Rico. Her work is funded by the NSF funded project on Ecosystem-based Adaptation to Extreme Events in Mangrove-reef Social-ecological Systems.
Previous Lab members
Graduate students & Postdocs
Mariela Garcia Vega, MA Geography, 2022-2025
Ron Vave, Postdoctoral Scholar, ECU, 2022-2024
Samantha Farquhar, PhD Integrated Coastal Sciences, 2020-2025
Ron Vave, Postdoctoral Scholar, ECU, 2022-2024
Samantha Farquhar, PhD Integrated Coastal Sciences, 2020-2025
Undergraduate students & Research assistants
Avery Van Benthuysen, Biology honors student, ECU, 2024-2025
Valeriia Vakhitova, Research Assistant, ECU, 2020-2021
Grant Tyler, Research Assistants, ECU, 2020
Valeriia Vakhitova, Research Assistant, ECU, 2020-2021
Grant Tyler, Research Assistants, ECU, 2020
