Zander Albertson

Senior Instructor · he/him

About

I study the sociocultural dimensions of environmental problems and the politics of environmental knowledge. Understanding the environment as a medium through which larger debates play out, I am especially interested in the ways nature acquires meaning and becomes legible in social and technical contexts. I also enjoy considering paradox, ambiguity, and contradiction in environmental politics. My teaching centers around cultivating students capable of engaging problems characterized by competing values, environmental change, and incomplete knowledge.

I teach courses in environmental politics and history, physical geography, and the American West.

Education

BS Geography, Western Oregon University; MA Environmental Studies, Western Washington University

Research Interests

  • Environmental politics
  • US public lands
  • Sociology of science
  • Cultural theory and risk perception
  • American West
  • Water politics & river restoration
  • Scientific and environmental controversies
  • Environmental History
  • Political Ecology

Publications

  1. Neff, Mark W., and Zander Albertson. “Does Higher Education Prepare Students to Bridge Divides in Today’s Democracy?” Journal of Environmental Studies and Sciences 10, no. 2 (June 2020): 196–204.
  2. Albertson, Zander. “Constructing the Klamath: Nature, Culture, and the Management of a Western River.” Society & Natural Resources 32, no. 7 (July 2019): 790–806.

Teaching Schedule

Fall 2023

 Winter 2024 Spring 2024
ENVS 203: Physical Geography ENVS 203: Physical Geography ENVS 203: Physical Geography
ENVS 303: Human Ecology & Ethics ENVS 450/550: Science in the Policy Process ENVS 305: Environmental History & Policy
ENVS 319: Research and Writing in Environmental Studies HNRS 215: Physical Geography Colloquia  ENVS 417: Sci Mgmt Contaminated Sites
HNRS 350: Why We Disagree About Climate Change PLSC 420: Environmental Politics ENVS 426: Water Resources
PLSC 435: Climate Change Politics   ENVS 451: Public Land Conflict & Collaboration
SMNR 101: First Year Seminar