Tyler Schafer, PhD.

Tyler is an Associate Professor of Sociology at Stanislaus State. His expertise and research center on culture, community, urban inequality, and sustainability. He conducted participant observational and interview research as a member of an emergent community garden in Las Vegas, NV. He published this research in the book Community Gardening in an Unlikely City: The Struggle to Grow Together in Las Vegas. As a social scientist, the research questions that guide his research are focused on how people act collectively and how meanings emerge out of group interaction and also help individuals make sense of their interactions in groups. While he does not focus on the science of gardening, he does explore the social significance of gardening. His talk at the conference will discuss key insights from his research regarding what works and what does not in community gardens as well as the need to affirmatively address social sustainability (or equity) in sustainability focused initiatives.

Rebecca Ryals Ph.D.

Becca is an Assistant Professor of Agroecology at the University of California, Merced. Her research program focuses on ecosystem-based climate solutions, particularly in agricultural and sanitation contexts. Her work investigates controls on and quantification of carbon storage and greenhouse gas emissions, as well as the impacts of management practices on climate change mitigation. A major research theme is the capture, transformation, and beneficial reuse of organic wastes as resources to rebuild soil carbon and contribute to a more productive and just food system.

Anne Schellman, UCCE Master Gardener Coordinator

Tyler is an Associate Professor of Sociology at Stanislaus State. His expertise and research center on culture, community, urban inequality, and sustainability. He conducted participant observational and interview research as a member of an emergent community garden in Las Vegas, NV. He published this research in the book Community Gardening in an Unlikely City: The Struggle to Grow Together in Las Vegas. As a social scientist, the research questions that guide his research are focused on how people act collectively and how meanings emerge out of group interaction and also help individuals make sense of their interactions in groups. While he does not focus on the science of gardening, he does explore the social significance of gardening. His talk at the conference will discuss key insights from his research regarding what works and what does not in community gardens as well as the need to affirmatively address social sustainability (or equity) in sustainability focused initiatives.