East, Robert M.
Areas of Study
Areas of Study
Robert East is an associate professor and Director of the Environmental Studies Program. He teaches a variety of courses covering interdisciplinary aspects of environmental studies, with areas of expertise in watershed management, agroforestry and sustainable development. To his teaching and research, he brings over a decade of experience living and working within the greater Horn of Africa.
He served for three years as a Peace Corps volunteer in Western Kenya. He has worked in technical advisor/project leadership positions for several governmental and non-governmental organizations. He has been a consultant on projects funded by the Ford Foundation, USAID, SIDA and DANIDA. Dr. East serves on the board of directors for the Center for Coalfield Justice and on the advisory board for the Washington County Watershed Alliance.
He is the principal investigator in a collaborative research project with the Rodale Institute examining the impacts of biochar on soil properties and crop yields. Dr. East is also researching the role of agroforestry as a buffer in protecting the mist forest in the Intag Valley of Ecuador. He is also collaborating with colleagues in Tanzania to assess the potentials/constraints of community-based forest management around the Amani Nature Reserve. Dr. East and his students are also participating in long-term ecological monitoring at the Abernathy Field Station. Dr. East is the founding Chair of the College Sustainability Committee and is the faculty representative for the Morris K. Udall Scholarship.