PhD. Candidate, Department of Environmental Studies

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Educational history:

University of California, Santa Cruz (Sept. 2001 – present)
-Working towards a Ph.D. in Environmental Studies with foci in Agroecology, Insect Ecology and Rural Sociology.
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, Virginia (Sept. 1991 – May 1995)
B.S., Crop and Soil Environmental Science with focus in International Agriculture
School For Field Studies, Atenas, Costa Rica (Sept. 1994 – Dec. 1994)      
--Studied forest conservation strategies, sustainable agricultural resource use and globalization pressures in Costa Rica, at the Center for Sustainable Development Studies.
--Researched the agroecological effects of intercropping mango with coffee.

Tara Pisani Gareau received a B.S from Virginia Tech in crop and soil environmental science. She has worked in sustainable agriculture education and outreach in Latin America with the School for Field Studies and the Peace Corps, as well as in the Inland Northwest of the US, coordinating the development of an on-farm education program. With the overarching goal of exploring the compatibility of agriculture and conservation, Tara's doctoral research at UCSC examines the potential of hedgerows planted in field margins to improve biological control services in vegetable agroecosystems and the socio-political incentives and disincentives for incorporating natural habitat in farms.

Select Publications:

Additional Projects :

2002 - 4. Assessed the educational/training needs of Latino growers in the Central Coast of California in collaboration with the Agriculture Land Based Trainng Association (ALBA) and Center for Agroecology and Sustainable Farming Systems (CASFS)