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Cynthia S. Simmons

Professor of Geography, University of Florida

I am a human geographer with a specialization in what the discipline refers to as Nature-Society Studies (NSS). As a human geographer, I pursue a research agenda anchored in the social sciences and focused primarily on the Brazilian Amazon. Given my specialization in NSS, I am particularly concerned about how human systems interact with natural systems in the Amazon Basin. My specific interests comprise issues of social equity such as agrarian reform, large scale infrastructure development, land conflict, indigenous resistance, and implications for the Amazonian forest. I have also conducted comparative research on forest management practices of indigenous and non-indigenous farmers in the Republic of Panama, and cross-national studies on economic development, urbanization, and sustainability in China, India, and the United States.

Experience

  • 2014–2020
    Associate Professor, Department of Geography, University of Florida