Ryan Holifield

Education

• PhD, Geography, University of Minnesota, 2007
• MA, Geography, University of Georgia, 2001
• AB, English, Duke University, 1993

Office Hours

Spring 2025: Tues/Thurs 1-2 pm or by appointment

Teaching Schedule

Courses Taught

• Geog 125 – Introduction to Environmental Geography
• Geog 464 – Environmental Problems
• Geog 564 – Urban Environmental Change and Social Justice
• Geog 870 – Contemporary Geographic Approaches
• Geog 905 – City, Environment, and Nature

Research Interests

Ryan Holifield conducts research on human dimensions of environmental change, with a focus on issues of democracy, governance, policy, and social and environmental justice. His theoretical interests include urban political ecology, actor-network theory, democratic theory, critical approaches to environmental governance, and critical geographic theory more generally. His past and present research, including collaborations with graduate students and other colleagues, addresses such topics as environmental justice policy and practice in the US Environmental Protection Agency, health risk assessment at hazardous waste sites, social justice and brownfield redevelopment, voluntarism and urban parks, and the politics of urban green space and river restoration. Although he is interested in a wide range of research methods, he specializes primarily in historical and qualitative approaches to analysis.

He currently serves as Principal Investigator for the WaterMarks project, funded by the National Science Foundation Advancing Informal STEM Learning Program; this project brings artists, scientists, and community members together to learn about green infrastructure and other aspects of Milwaukee's water systems through public art projects and collaborative programming.

Selected Publications