About
Biography
Evan has lived in Minneapolis since graduating from St. Olaf College in 2015. After studying Sociology/Anthropology, Political Science, and doing three years in AmeriCorps, he became deeply interested in the ways that community advocacy groups inform academic research. Evan's transition to Public Policy and Urban & Regional Planning has allowed him to explore the practical ways research can elevate local knowledge. His current focus is on the areas of environmental justice, community development, and social movements. For his Master’s thesis, he researched brownfield redevelopment. Specifically, he explored its potential for transforming contaminated urban land into community-owned places and its role in green gentrification. His dissertation considers how environmental planning and policy upheld by racial capitalism has created and disrupted urban neighborhoods. At the same time, he looks to the ways environmental justice and community redevelopment movements work to repair neighborhoods from these enduring environmental and socioeconomic injustices. In doing so, communities keep intact cultural memories, maintain collective resources, and build sustained political power in their neighborhoods.
Education
Master of Public Policy (University of Minnesota, Humphrey School of Public Affairs, 2020)
BA in Sociology/Anthropology & Political Science (St. Olaf College, 2015)