Oakland, CA 94610
(415) 955-2907 (work) (510) 655-1947 (home)
lawatt@california.com
Ph.D. Environmental Science, Policy, & Management, University of California, Berkeley, 2001
Dissertation Title: |
Managing Cultural Landscapes: Reconciling Local Preservation and Institutional Ideology in the National Park Service |
Guiding Committee: |
Sally K. Fairfax, ESPM (Chair) Paul Groth, Architecture and Geography Lynn Huntsinger, ESPM |
M.E.M. Natural Resource Economics and Policy, School of Forestry and Environmental Studies, Duke University, 1992
B.A. Biology, emphasis in vertebrate ecology, University of California, Berkeley, 1988
Post-doctoral Researcher, University of California, Berkeley, June-September 2002
Investigating the history of federal land acquisition policy in the U.S., particularly National Park Service policy since the 1950s, and the role of alternative land conservation strategies, such as partnership parks and land trusts. Also continuing research projects on cultural landscape management, comparative analysis of preservation laws (Endangered Species Act and National Historic Preservation Act), and landscape history of a Colorado biological research station.
Lecturer, University of California, Berkeley, Spring 2002
Taught Environmental Policy, Administration and Law (lower division), a survey of the U.S. government's approach to determining policies for the environment and recent developments pushing both toward greater local involvement and greater global scope. Wrote and presented all lectures and exams, graded papers and exams for approximately 50 students, and supervised one Graduate Student Instructor.
Laura A. Watt. 2002. "The Trouble With Preservation, or, Getting Back to the Wrong Term for Wilderness Protection: A Case Study at Point Reyes National Seashore." The Yearbook of the Association of Pacific Coast Geographers, Volume 64:55-72.
Sally Fairfax, Laura Watt, Lauren Gwin, Leigh Raymond, and Sarah Connick. Public-Private Partnerships for Land Protection: A History of Land Acquisition for Conservation in the United States From 1785 to 2002. The MIT Press, forthcoming 2003.
Lynn Huntsinger, with Sarah McCaffrey, Laura Watt and Michele Lee. September 1994. A Yurok Forest History. Presented to the Bureau of Indian Affairs, Sacramento, CA.
Laura A. Watt. August 2001. Review of Arnold Alanen and Robert K. Melnick, eds., 2000, Preserving Cultural Landscapes in America (Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press). Published in The Professional Geographer 53(3):448-9.
Laura A. Watt. March 2000. Review of Ronald G. Shaiko, Voices and Echoes for the Environment: Public Interest Representation in the 1990s and Beyond (New York: New York University Press), 1999. Published on-line by H-Pol (American Political History) listserv and the H-Net web site.
Laura A. Watt. June 1999. Francis N. Lovett, National Parks: Rights and the Common Good (Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield), 1998. Published on-line by H-Environment (Environmental History) listserv and the H-Net web site.
American Society for Environmental History, Providence, RI, March 2003
Organized panel, "Natural Conservation and Historic Preservation: the Landscape as Connection," and will present paper: Preserving Landscapes: A Historical Comparison of the National Historic Preservation Act and the Endangered Species Act.
Association of American Geographers, New Orleans, LA, March 2003
Will present paper: Managing Cultural Landscapes: Expressions of National Park Service Preservation Ideology in the Point Reyes National Seashore.
Association of Pacific Coast Geographers, San Bernadino, CA, October 2002
Presented paper: The Trouble With Preservation, or, Getting Back to the Wrong Term for Wilderness Protection: A Case Study at Point Reyes National Seashore.
Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in the Liberal Arts (CIRLA) Conference: "Playing the Wild Card: Un/Disciplined Thoughts on Wilderness," Banff, Alberta, Canada, May 2002
Presented paper: Creating Wilderness Out of Agriculture at the Point Reyes National Seashore.
American Society for Environmental History, Denver, CO, March 2002
Presented paper: Moved and Unmoved Resources: Ideas and Actions in a Rocky Mountain Landscape.
11th International Conference Of Historical Geographers, Quebec City, Canada, August 2001
Presented paper co-authored with Leigh S. Raymond: "Scaling Up": Preserving Ecological and Cultural Landscapes.
Joint Meeting of the American Society for Environmental History and the Forest History Society, Durham, NC, March 2001
Presented paper: Ranches to Wilderness: Landscape Management and Change in the Point Reyes National Seashore.
8th Int'l Symposium of the Society for Resource Management, Bellingham, WA, June 2000
Presented poster: Ranches to Wilderness: Landscape Management and Change in the Point Reyes National Seashore.
Canon National Parks Science Scholars Program, 1999-2002
Competitive fellowship on the topic of using environmental history to improve park policy; fully funded for up to three years, peer-reviewed by the American Association for the Advancement of Science. Fewer than 10% of applicants funded.
U.C. Berkeley Outstanding Graduate Student Instructor Award, Spring 1998
U.C. Berkeley Graduate Student Fellowships, 1997-1999
U.C. Berkeley University Grant, 1993-94
School of Forestry and Environmental Studies Scholarship, Duke University, 1990-92
Environmental Planner, EDAW, Inc., San Francisco CA, September 2002-present
Project Manager writing a resource management plan for the Bureau of Land Managementıs King Range National Conservation Area in northern California.
Policy Analyst, The Nature Conservancy, San Francisco CA, 1992-93
Researched and drafted strategic plans for The California Nature Conservancy's involvement with federal and state natural resource management agencies. In addition, developed funding proposals for ecological management projects, and complied a directory of conservation funding sources.
Masters Research, Duke University, 1992
Analysis of environmental, economic and social issues involved with grazing on public lands, with historical background.
Research Intern, Southeast Regional Nature Conservancy, Spring 1991
Conducted library research on effects of global climate change and plant population ecology on preserve design.
Research Intern, Research Triangle Institute, Summer 1991
Compiled information and wrote text in the preparation of 10-year, $75 million USAID environmental project proposal for RTI's Center for International Development.
Field Ecologist, McGinnis Consulting, Fall 1988
Trapped and identified snakes to establish the status of endangered species on possible development sites around the San Francisco Bay Area.
Field Ecologist, U.C. Berkeley, Summer 1987
Collected data for a long-term bird census project at the Sagehen Creek Field Station, Truckee, CA. Also assisted with small mammal and fish population studies.
Lecturer, U.C. Berkeley, Spring 1997
American Land: Interpretation, Use and Control (upper division). Wrote and presented all lectures and exams, provided guidance on student research papers, and supervised one Graduate Student Instructor.
Graduate Student Instructor, U.C. Berkeley, 1994-96
American Land: Interpretation, Use and Control (upper division). Co-developed as a new undergraduate course with Dr. Sally Fairfax: researched and developed the syllabus and course reader; assisted teaching a trial seminar version of the class in Fall 1994; wrote and presented approximately one quarter of the lectures, graded exams, and taught all discussion sections in the first official offering of the class, Spring 1996.
Co-Instructor, U.C. Berkeley, Fall 1996
Property Theory (graduate). Co-designed syllabus and led a new graduate-level reading seminar on theories of property and ownership.
Graduate Student Instructor, U.C. Berkeley
Upper Division Courses:
American Environmental and Cultural History, Dr. Carolyn Merchant, Fall 1999; Fall 2001.Lower Division Courses:
Environmental Philosophy and Ethics, Dr. Carolyn Merchant, Fall 1998.
Environmental Policy, Administration and Law, Dr. Sally Fairfax, Spring 1995.
Environmental Sociology, Visiting Professor Dr. Frank Hirtz, Spring 1994.Introduction to Environmental Issues, Dr. Steven Welter, Spring 1999.For all of these classes: organized and taught discussion sections, graded papers and exams, and gave one guest lecture per semester.
Environmental Policy, Administration and Law, Dr. Sally Fairfax, Fall 1995.
Culture and Natural Resources, Dr. Lynn Huntsinger, Fall 1994.
Pre-College Academy Instructor, U.C. Berkeley, Summer 1994
Redesigned and taught a 6-week, interdisciplinary summer course, entitled Natural Resource Management, to advanced minority high school students from the Bay Area.
Seminar Coordinator, Duke University, 1990-91
Developed and managed the 1991 Fall Environmental Speaker Series for the School of Forestry and Environmental Studies.
Naturalist, City of Hayward, CA, Spring 1989
Taught local wildlife programs to elementary school children, and participated in docent training program at the Sulphur Creek Nature Museum.
"Social Differences in Perceptions of the Environment." Guest lecture in ESPM 10, Introduction to Environmental Issues, Dr. Steven Welter, U.C. Berkeley, February 2002.
"Expressions of National Park Service Preservation Ideology in the Point Reyes Landscape." Bay Area Environmental Historians Group, Oakland, CA, November 2001.
"Cultural Landscape Change in the Point Reyes National Seashore." Center for Conservation Biology, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA, April 2000.
"Environmental Policy." Two-part guest lecture in ESPM 10, Introduction to Environmental Issues, Dr. Steven Welter, U.C. Berkeley, February 2000.
"Landscape Preservation in the National Park Service." Environmental Science, Policy and Management Forum, U.C. Berkeley, December 1998.
"Historic Preservation and Working Landscapes." Guest lecture in ESPM 153, American Land Policy and Practice, Leigh Raymond, Instructor, U.C. Berkeley, April 1998.
American Society for Environmental History, 1994-present
Association of American Geographers, 1996-present
Vernacular Architecture Forum, 1996-present
Association of Pacific Coast Geographers, 1999-present
Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory, 2000-present
George Wright Society, 2002-present
U.C. Berkeley ESPM Search Committee, Spring 1995
U.C. Berkeley ESPM, Student representative to faculty meetings, 1994-95
U.C. Berkeley ESPM, Co-President, Graduate Student Association, 1994-95
Dr. Sally K. Fairfax, Henry J. Vaux Distinguished Professor of Forest Policy
135 Giannini Hall #3312, U.C. Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720
(510) 642-7627 sally@nature.berkeley.edu
Dr. Paul Groth, Associate Professor, Departments of Architecture and Geography
486 Wurster Hall, U.C. Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720
(510) 642-7510 pgroth@uclink4.berkeley.edu
Dr. Lynn Huntsinger, Associate Professor, Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management
313 Hilgard Hall, U.C. Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720
(510) 642-1022 buckaroo@nature.berkeley.edu
Dr. Carolyn Merchant, Chancellor's Professor of Environmental History, Philosophy, and Ethics
135 Giannini Hall #3312, U.C. Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720
(510) 642-0326 merchant@nature.berkeley.edu
Dr. Gary Machlis, Professor of Forest Resources and Sociology and Visiting Chief Social Scientist, National Park Service
College of Forestry, Wildlife and Range Sciences, University of Idaho
(208) 885-7129 gmachlis@uidaho.edu