Social Sciences Division
PhD Candidate
Graduate
Nat Sci 2 Main Building
477
No Mailstop
I am an agroecologist studying the ecology and social dynamics of coffee systems in Mexico and Hawaiʻi. My ecological research questions involve the influence of local and landscape factors on beneficial insects, with a particular emphasis on coffee management practices that promote natural pest control services. My political ecology work investigates how social and ecological pressures on coffee production influence farm management decisions and producer community.
National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program
Ford Foundation Honorable Mention
UCSC Agricultural Experiment Station Fellowship
Gliessman Research Fellowship in Water Resources and Food System Sustainability
Heller Agroecology Fellowship
Jessica Roy Memorial Award
Global Food Initiative Ambassador
Graduate Pedagogy Fellowship
Animal Behavioral Society Conservation Award
Lewis and Clark Fund for Exploration and Field Research
UCSC Environmental Studies Departmental Award
UCSC Graduate Dean's Travel Grant
Cowal, S., & Philpott, S. M. (2026). Vegetation complexity and regional differences impact ant-coffee berry borer interactions in Hawaiian coffee. Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment, 397, 110059. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agee.2025.110059
Jiménez-Soto, E., Cowal, S., & Lopez, A. (2025). Food sovereignty among migrant farmworkers: The role of agrobiodiversity for autonomy and resistance in a Mexican coffee plantation. Elem Sci Anth, 13(1), 00126. https://doi.org/10.1525/elementa.2023.00126
Liere, H., & Cowal, S. (2024). Local and landscape factors differentially influence predatory arthropods in Urban agroecosystems. Ecosphere, 15(3), doi.org/10.1002/ecs2.4816
Cowal, S., Morris, J. R., Jiménez-Soto, E., & Philpott, S. M. (2023). Naturally Occurring Vegetation Connectivity Facilitates Ant-Mediated Coffee Berry Borer Removal. Insects, 14(11), 869.
https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4450/14/11/869
Del-Val, E., Philpott, S. M., Lucatero, A., Fowler, R., Cowal, S., & Hsu, J. (2023). The importance of insect pest biocontrol for maize production: an expert survey. Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems, 47(9), 1271-1292.
https://doi.org/10.1080/21683565.2023.2239724
Le, Q. V., Cowal, S., Jovanovic, G., & Le, D. T. (2021). A Study of Regenerative Farming Practices and Sustainable Coffee of Ethnic Minorities Farmers in the Central Highlands of Vietnam. Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems.
https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fsufs.2021.712733/full
Le, Q. V., Jovanovic, G., Le, D. T., & Cowal, S. (2020). Understanding the Perceptions of Sustainable Coffee Production: A Case Study of the K’Ho Ethnic Minority in a Small Village in Lâm Đồng Province of Vietnam. Sustainability, 12(3), 1010.
https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/12/3/1010