Dr. Brandon Finn

Assistant Professor

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Biography

Brandon Marc Finn is an Assistant Research Scientist at the University of Michigan's School for Environment and Sustainability. He leads the Informal Sustainability Lab and specializes in the intersections of mining, urbanization, and sustainability. Finn's research highlights the significance of informal labor and housing in contemporary urbanization, emphasizing the need for sustainable development models that account for vulnerable populations. His work critically assesses the roles of artisanal small-scale miners, particularly in contexts such as the Democratic Republic of Congo and Accra, Ghana, focusing on environmental and socioeconomic impacts. He is an active member of the Urban Sustainability Research Group and is pioneering the subfield of 'informal sustainability' within geography, which interrogates the complexities surrounding informality as a survival strategy and its tensions with sustainability goals.

Research Interests

Requirements for University of Michigan

Master Program
Requirements
GPA Requirement
Required:3.5
TOEFL
Total
Required:84
GRE General
Verbal
Required:155
Verbal Percentile
Required:50
Quantitative
Required:168
Quantitative Percentile
Required:50
Analytical Writing
Required:3.6
Writing Percentile
Required:50
Prerequisites
Bachelor degree in engineering, physics, or mathematics Calculus Physics
Application Checklist
  • Rackham Graduate School Application
  • Official Transcripts
  • 3 Letters of Recommendation
  • Academic Statement of Purpose
  • Personal Statement
  • CV/Resume
Specialization Notes

Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science