Elise Otto

Elise Otto (she/her) is a PhD student in geography examining extreme heat and housing in Arizona. Her research examines the home as a unit of analysis of both climate resiliency and vulnerability in the context of political, cultural, financial, environmental, and legal frameworks that shape the role of housing in a time of increasing environmental hazards. As an educator she is interested in facilitating experiential learning for students to engage with the places that they inhabit. Elise grew up in Eastern Washington, in the channeled scablands where glacial sills deposited by the Missoula Floods and dammed rivers contribute to exceptional agricultural production of wheat, stone fruit, apples, and vegetables.

The CRFS award will fund the planning and preparation for a regional field course on Sonoran food systems that will be offered in Spring 2024. University of Arizona undergraduate students and graduate course facilitators will travel around the region over three days to meet with various food systems stakeholders. This course will provide supplemental field-based learning for geography, environmental and food studies, and other undergraduate students at the University of Arizona. The curriculum is designed to present diverse perspectives on the political and social context of regional food production and encourage critical thinking and independence amongst participants. Funds will help the graduate student organizers (Elise Otto and Tali Neesham-McTiernan) travel to meet with collaborators and guest speakers and secure materials for the course.