Dr. Patrick Hunnicutt
Website: http://www.phunnicutt.com/
Colleges: Wilkinson College of Arts Humanities, and Social Sciences, Schmid College of Science and Technology
Overview of scholarly research/creative activity:
Hi there! I use qualitative and quantitative data, collected through fieldwork in West Africa, to ask two questions. First, how does experiencing environmental problems affect political behaviors like protest? Second, how can international organizations like the United Nations help solve local environmental problems?
Specific projects working on:
My first ongoing research project asks whether privatizing the governance of protected areas in Africa leads to better outcomes for wildlife and people. Our preliminary results show that privately-governed protected areas benefit wildlife populations, but at the expense of local communities' security. I would be excited to engage students in follow-up work for this project, such as deploying a multi-country survey to measure how folks living near privately-managed protected areas perceive them.
My second ongoing research project investigates the political causes and consequences of mismanaged solid waste in Liberia's capital city of Monrovia. Preliminary data I collected with a local research group in June suggest that citizens perceive the mismanagement of waste as evidence of government corruption and repression, and that these perceptions undermine ongoing efforts to improve waste management. I would be excited to engage students in data analysis for this project, from combing through focus group data using content analysis to cleaning and analyzing survey data collected as part of a conjoint experiment.
My third ongoing research project articulates how and tests whether United Nations Peacekeeping Operations mitigate violent conflict resulting from climatic shocks in Africa. I would be excited to engage students in the development of this project, e.g., designing statistical tests to estimate whether peacekeepers moderate the effect of drought on intercommunal violence.
Number of students looking to work with:
3-4
When students are needed:
Fall 2023
Interterm 2024
Spring 2024
Summer 2024
What students need to work with Dr. Hunnicutt:
Programming experience (e.g., in the statistical software R) would be beneficial but is not required. Instead, I would ask students to be open to learning various research skills that are equally applicable to those seeking non-academic careers.
What students would be doing:
I would be happy to co-create research projects with students, helping guide their inquiry. Similarly, I would be happy to engage students as potential co-authors on my ongoing research projects. Alternatively, I would be happy to engage students in my nascent research "lab," as a means of facilitating community building and professional development.
Time commitment for students:
As a baseline, I would expect all students in my lab to attend 1-1.5 hour lab meetings every other week during the academic term. Students engaged in research with me should commit at least 5 hours a week.
Additional information:
Don't hesitate to reach out via email (phunnicutt@chapman.edu) or drop by my office (Roosevelt Hall 212) if you would like to chat! I'm also an East Coast transplant, avid rock climber and mountain biker, and music nerd, if you'd like to chat about things other than research!