Dr. Jake Kosek

Biography

Jake Kosek received his doctorate in Geography from the University of California, Berkeley in 2002 and holds a master's degree from Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies, completed in 1995. He has a rich academic background, having held the Lang Postdoctoral Fellowship at Stanford University and served as a Lecturer in the Department of Cultural and Social Anthropology. Kosek has been an Assistant Professor in the departments of American Studies and Anthropology at the University of New Mexico before returning to the Department of Geography at Berkeley. His significant works include co-authoring 'Race, Nature, Politics, Difference' (2003) and authoring 'Understories: Political Life in the Forests of Northern New Mexico' (2006), which received the John Hope Franklin Book Award. His ongoing research investigates the intersections of nature, race, and politics, employing ethnographic methods and detailed archival research to explore contemporary taxonomies and the socio-political history of natural phenomena. Kosek has a history of applied political work in non-profits within the realms of human rights and environmental justice, and his diverse teaching experiences span from prestigious universities to community workshops in various settings. He emphasizes the connection between abstract concepts and political action in his pedagogy.

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