Hannah Torres, PhD

Hannah Torres, PhD

Assistant Director for Research Operations, Center for Resilient and Sustainable Communities

Faculty Directory

Research Focus

As Assistant Director for Research Operations with the Center for Resilient and Sustainable Communities (C-RASC), I work to connect researchers from across disciplines with community partners to collaboratively solve problems that can help communities build on existing strengths and learn from new challenges to emerge stronger than ever.

My own research is informed by my background in environmental science and policy, geography, and education and driven by 3 core principles: 1) meaningful community and stakeholder engagement; 2) mixed-method, transdisciplinary approaches; and 3) leveraging technology. Some of my most recent work explored local priorities for estuary restoration, marine debris prevention, and climate change adaptation using methods such as participatory mapping, focus groups, surveys, and interviews.

Current Projects

■ Community GIS and citizen science research experience for undergraduates and teachers in Belize.

■ Exploring the role of sense of place in coastal restoration in the Indian River Lagoon, FL.

Select Publications

■ Torres, H. et al. (2019). Examining youth perceptions and social contexts of litter to improve marine debris environmental education. Environmental Education Research, 25(3), 1-16.

■ Torres, H. and Alsharif, K. (2017). What it means to become “more resilient”: An analysis of local resilience- building approaches in three Florida communities. Weather, climate, and society, 9(3), 405-419.

■ Saylor, C.R., Alsharif, K., Torres, H. (2017). The importance of traditional ecological knowledge in agroecological systems in Peru. International Journal of Biodiversity Science, Ecosystem Services & Management, 13(1). 150-161.

 

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Contact

Phone: 703-993-6286

Email: htorres3@gmu.edu

Website: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3315-5303