Katie Meehan

Katie Meehan received a Faculty Associateship Award in July 2016. Meehan is a Professor in the Department of Geography at the University of Oregon. Her project, “Sustainable Urban Transitions in the Southwest: Water Infrastructure and Social Justice in the Mexico-U.S. Borderlands,” seeks to advance critical understanding of urban sustainability and social justice in the Southwest borderlands, through collaboration with UA academics and engagement with experiential learning and curriculum development at rainwater harvesting sites in school gardens in Tucson, Arizona. Meehan worked directly with the Community and School Garden Program (CSGP) to develop a science curriculum on water harvesting, infrastructure, and storytelling in urban environments. Also, Meehan co-authored a publication with UA faculty members, Jeff Banister and Stacie Widdifield, evaluating modes of spatial planning and water infrastructure in Southwest cities, and participated in a lecture organized by the UA Southwest Center and School of Geography and Development. With this project, Meehan advanced her understanding of urban transition through analysis of water infrastructure plans, policies, and practices in Southwest cities.