Sophia Ford
I am
…am a PhD candidate in Environmental Studies and the Department of Geography researching white supremacy, cultural memory, and the far-right throughout the Midwest. Growing up in rural Kansas was formative in shaping my current research. My dissertation examines how white nationalism, anti-statism, pro-private property activists, and militant organizing from the political right are unfolding in a current debate over commemorative spaces. Overall, this research is rooted in abolishing white supremacy and deepening understandings of far-right movements for more just futures.
I earned a B.S. in geology from Kansas State University in 2013, where I focused on groundwater contamination. I received an M.S. in Environmental and Energy Policy at Michigan Technological University and had the opportunity to work with the Great Lakes Indian Fish and Wildlife Commission to map the spatial distribution of mineral ownership in the Lake Superior watershed. Through this collaboration, I became interested in accessibility to mineral rights leading to my thesis project, which focused on the state policies that limit access to mineral rights and corresponding information.
In addition, I enjoy creating projects that expand narration and accessibility to my research, including painting, poetry, collage, embroidery, and public installation design.