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Water Experts | Four Corners Water Center | Fort Lewis College

Meet our water experts

Whether you're a researcher, a professional, or a resident curious about water issues in our area, bring your questions to the local pros. All of the professionals listed here are willing and eager to lend their expertise in service to water.

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Austin

Dr. Rebecca Austin

Professor of Anthropology and Environmental Studies

Area of Expertise: Environmental anthropology
Phone: 970-247-7346
Email: austin_r@fortlewis.edu

Dr. Austin is an applied environmental anthropologist with over ten years of experience working alongside tribal governments in the southwestern United States, and with various water-related issues, including acequias (traditional irrigation systems) in New Mexico as well as teaching about Puebloan farming and gathering techniques. Some examples of her research on human-environment relationships include studies of: social impacts of the Exxon Valdez oil spill in Alaska; traditional places on the Navajo Nation; and public perceptions of lawns and landscapes; as well as a current National Park Service Project on the ethnohistory of African American homesteaders in the Mojave Desert. Dr. Austin’s integration of anthropology and human ecology has lead to a variety of teaching and applied projects, and she teaches a wide range of courses, including ethnobotany of the Southwest, and traditional ecological knowledge.

View full bio on Fort Lewis College site ❯❯

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Water in the Southwest is a critical issue to all who make this beautiful place home. Whether you're a community member or student, your engagement in these important questions is vital to our future. 

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4CWC staff

Carolyn Cummins, Ph.D.
4CWC Director

Berndt Hall, Room 350
water@fortlewis.edu

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