Download CV | Email: shj22@vt.edu
I am an interdisciplinary social scientist focused on humanitarian forestry, agroforestry, and livelihood systems in Uganda's refugee–hosting landscapes.
My recent doctoral work in Uganda's Imvepi Refugee Settlement explores how tree- and forest-based resources can support refugee/host livelihoods and environmental restoration amid displacement, climate change, and humanitarian aid cuts. I use mixed methods, including participatory mapping, household interviews, and geospatial analysis, to understand forest resource access, preferences, ethnobotany, and social dynamics.
My research has been supported by the U.S. Fulbright Program, the National Science Foundation Human Environmental and Geographic Sciences (DDRI-HEGS) program, and Virginia Tech's Global Change Center and Center for Peace Studies and Violence Prevention
I am currently seeking research and postdoctoral roles (mid-2026)
Research areas: agroforestry • human dimensions of natural resource conservation • participatory mapping • NTFP-based livelihoods • humanitarian environmental challenges