​I am an interdisciplinary environmental justice researcher with a background in social ecology, marine science, and gender studies. My research addresses the three pillars of environmental justice in seafood systems: distributional, procedural, and recognitional. I use decolonizing and community-based participatory action research methods to partner with coastal communities and policy makers to address applied challenges, such as food security, Indigenous and small-scale fishing rights, and environmental changes, which compromise the heritage and livelihoods of peoples highly dependent upon natural resources. Over the past decade, I have partnered with a range of communities in the Pacific Islands and the United States to study and advance food sovereignty and food justice. I integrate my teaching with my research in order to contribute to capacity building and food system resilience, while supporting students wit the tools to pursue their own questions, in accordance with my core values of humility and team building.