Erin Upton, Ph.D.

The purpose of my work is to help create and sustain communities of care and systems of support as we encounter complex environmental challenges.  I want to contribute to a world where we not only survive but also thrive. 

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I am committed to applied interdisciplinary approaches, the co-production of knowledge, and elevating diverse community voices. I am passionate about deepening our understanding of the relationships between people and place.

As a research consultant, I use methods of qualitative inquiry to help organizations and agency partners deepen their capacity, advance their missions, and inform policy and program decision-making. My research interests include larger themes about resilience, transformation, community, and connection. In my work, I explore climate change resiliency, social-ecological systems dynamics,

decision-making about water and land, and sustainable futures in working landscapes.

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I have a Ph.D. from Portland State University's School of the Environment and the Department of Environmental Science & Management in Portland, Oregon. My doctoral research examined water and climate change resilience in agricultural wine regions. I have conducted environmental social science research in North America, South Africa, and Australia, and presented my work in Australia, the U.S., Canada, and Brazil. 

I have a master’s degree in Landscape Architecture from the University of British Columbia and have worked as a landscape architect in New York City, as well as in management in the wine industry in Oregon. I am a Fellow of the National Science Foundation Integrative Graduate Education and Research Trainee (IGERT) program, and a Fellow of the Sasakawa Young Leaders Fellowship Fund (SYLFF) for International Research.