Our recent article in Policy Studies Journal on renewable energy permitting continues to generate interest. Journalist Nicole Williams at MassLive wrote a piece exploring what our research means for Massachusetts specifically. The coverage builds on the UMass press release from last week and digs into some of the local angles. A few points Williams highlighted that I think are particularly relevant…
January 16, 2026 I’m pleased to share that UMass News and Media Relations has featured my recent publication in the Policy Studies Journal, co-authored with Natalie Baillargeon, a master’s candidate here at UMass Amherst. Our article, “Balancing Participation and Speed: A Polycentric Governance Lens on Renewable-Energy Siting”, examines a challenge that often gets overlooked in federal permitting…
This article explores how the IRS Form 990, a critical nonprofit accountability tool, is shaped by diverse stakeholders. Our research reveals that for-profit entities and professional associations significantly influence nonprofit reporting requirements alongside nonprofit organizations themselves, creating a dynamic regulatory landscape that reflects an ongoing negotiation among varied interests.
The Defender’s Dilemma Environmental advocacy is experiencing an unprecedented moment. While scholars have long studied how movements evolve from challengers to defenders of institutional processes, today’s environmental groups face a unique challenge: they must simultaneously defend environmental protections while driving rapid transformative change to address climate change. This isn’t just about choosing between insider or…
The Biden-Harris administration has been on a tear recently passing multiple important rules tightening vehicle emissions standards, regulating PFAS in drinking water, increasing royalties for drilling on public lands, and launching a new conservation website. Another big announcement was made Thursday, April 18th, 2024 and made national news headlines when the BLM finalized a new…
The siting of new large-scale solar (and other types of renewable energy) facilities raise a host of issues and questions for communities and environmental organizations. For instance, how do environmental groups reconcile their mission-specific purposes with the potential impact of new facilitates? When and where do organizations decide to get involved? What is the relationship…
On June 16, 2022 I will present research on the politics of large-scale solar siting in New England at a workshop hosted by Harvard University’s Climate Pipeline Project. The Project supports early career scholars interested in the politics of climate change through mentorship, networking, and research events. The 2022 program can be found here. Participant…
This is a short post sharing a couple of tricks for using the learning management system (LMS) plugin called Perusall. This semester I am teaching remotely due to the COVID-19 pandemic. I wanted to find ways to make class more social and provide students with the opportunity to learn from each other and be incentivized…
If you are conducting research involving interviews conducted over the phone, you may be presented with a challenge: how do you capture the call, transcribe the call, and archive it? Interview Software Comparison: In this post I cover three interview software options and explain why I think Otter.ai is the best option for most research…
Reviewing manuscripts for publication is a unique and rewarding activity. Reviewers get to stay on top of new research and feel good about giving back to the field. It also takes a lot of time and energy. The following discussion is intended to guide reviewers from start to finish in completing manuscript reviews. Each reviewer…