Dr. Thomas Smucker, Assistant Professor

smucker@ohio.edu, Clippinger Labs 145, (740) 593–1152
Dr. Thomas Smucker

Present Position:

Assistant Professor, Department of Geography, Ohio University
Director, International Development Studies
Visiting Scientist, International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), Nairobi, Kenya

Education:

Ph.D, Michigan State U., 2003
M.A., Geography, Ohio U., 1997
M.A., International Affairs, Ohio U., 1996
B.A., International Relations, Cornell College, 1992

Employment History:

Assistant Director for Research, African Studies Center, Ohio U., 2007–2008
Assistant Professor, U. of South Florida, 2003–2006

Research Interests:

In the broadest terms, my research is concerned with understanding dynamic intersections of social and environmental change through investigations of evolving systems of land tenure, rural livelihood and resource management systems, and household and community strategies for coping with drought and other hazards. My recent work has examined the impacts of land tenure reform on land use and rural livelihood change in pastoral and agro–pastoral communities in East Africa. Current field research and proposal development focuses on questions of socio–geographical differentiation, equity, and persistent vulnerabilities associated with human adaptation to climate change in East Africa. An overarching concern of all of the work described above is to better understand the political and ethical dilemmas, as well as immense possibilities, that confront researchers employing participatory methodologies. My research has been funded by the National Science Foundation, the Environmental Protection Agency, and Fulbright.

Illustrative Publications:

2008
Changing Household Responses to Drought in Tharaka, Kenya: Vulnerability, Persistence, and Challenge. Disasters 32(2): 190–215 (with Wisner, B.).

2007
Contemporary Challenges of Participatory Field Research for Land Use Change Analyses: Examples from Kenya. Field Methods 19 (4): 384–406 (with Campbell, D.J., Olson, J., Wangui, E.)

2005
Multiple Methods in the Study of Driving Forces of Land Use and Land Cover Change: A Case Study of SE Kajiado District, Kenya. Human Ecology 33 (6): 763–794 (with Campbell, D.J., Lusch, D., Wangui E.)

Agenda for Action. In Toward a New Map of Africa. Camilla Toulmin, Ben Wisner, Rutendo Chitiba, eds., 329–345. London: Earthscan (with Samatar, A., Wisner, B., Chitiba, R., Wangui, E., and Toulmin, E.)

2004
Globalization and Local Heterogeneity: An Overview of Diversity in Land Use and Development Issues in Loitokitok Division, Kajiado District, Kenya. Working Paper Number: 21. Nairobi: International Livestock Research Institute, and United Nations Environment Programme/Division of Global Environment Facility Coordination (with Campbell, D.J., Gichohi, H., Mwangi, A.)

2003
Land Tenure Reform and Changes in Land–Use and Land Management in Semi–Arid Tharaka, Kenya. The Land Use Change, Impacts and Dynamics Project. Working Paper Number: 11. Nairobi: International Livestock Research Institute, and United Nations Environment Programme/Division of Global Environment Facility Coordination.

Instructional Areas:

I teach courses in Development, Nature–Society, and Human Geography. I have taught a broad range of courses in the last five years, including: Human Geography, Cultural Geography, Global Conservation, Natural Hazards, World Economic Geography, and Global Hunger and Food Security.