My name is Laura, I am from a little town in the Andes and I grew up with German Shepherds. I love my family and I love mountains.
In paper, I am an environmental and development economist but at heart, I am an ‘ill-at-ease’ social scientist. I worry about how global socioeconomic systems perpetuate extractive and oppressive relationships: humans exploiting and oppressing humans and humans exploiting and oppressing other forms of nature.
I have technical expertise in systems modeling, sustainable climate risk management, ecosystem services valuation, spatial econometrics techniques, and the microeconomics of land use change. I enjoy working with maps and different forms of data and finding creative ways to deal with wicked problems–specially in the face of uncertainty. In general, I apply technical tools and use empirical evidence to inform decision making and support efforts that promote various forms of liberation: ecological sustainability, environmental justice, poverty alleviation, and community resilience.
At a more personal level, I care for human and non-human dimensions as components of a Whole. I want to find ways to design and promote ecologically sustainable, socially responsible, financially feasible, and morally sound policies that guide bottom-up and top-down administration of ‘natural resources’ and the building of cohesive and healthy communities/assemblages for the betterment of the Whole. I believe we must be here to take care of each other.
You can find a copy of my resume here.
Please, e-mail me any comments or questions.
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laura villegas ortiz 