About Me
Associate Professor
Sociology
Email: rsomcastellano@boisestate.edu
Office: 214 Riverfront Hall
Associate Professor
Sociology
Email: rsomcastellano@boisestate.edu
Office: 214 Riverfront Hall
My research broadly focuses on environmental change, and how stratification and inequality influence experiences with the environment. Previous research projects have included examination of the actors and interests involved in the construction and development of National School Lunch Program policy; differential food access among marginalized communities; and barriers to engaging in the alternative agriculture and food initiatives. My current research focuses on 1) well-being among Latina farm workers in Southwestern Idaho; 2) land use change and farm land preservation in the Treasure Valley; 3) climate change adaptation among farmers in Idaho; and 4) uneven social-ecological patterns of boom and bust in the West.
I am interested in collaborative research with those across disciplinary boundaries, both within and outside the academy, who are interested in utilizing social science methodologies to examine pressing environmental challenges.