Bio

I am a cultural and ecological anthropologist whose research focuses on environmental justice, Indigenous and Afro-descendant land tenure, gendered labor, and the social dimensions of environmental change. My work explores how historical processes of dispossession shape contemporary inequalities and how communities—especially those in coastal and rural settings—resist, adapt, and imagine new futures in response to environmental degradation and climate change.

Currently, I serve as a Mellon Humanities Postdoctoral Fellow with the National Park Service, working collaboratively with Tribal Nations and federal land managers in the Northeast region to advance equitable co-stewardship of natural and cultural resources in coastal territories. I am also an Affiliate Postdoctoral Scholar in the Department of Anthropology at the University of Maine.

My research has taken me from the coastal fishing communities of Pernambuco, Brazil, where I examined intergenerational inequalities stemming from colonial and developmental legacies, to Appalachian Kentucky, where I explored the socio-economic and environmental impacts of coal industry decline, to coastal New England, where I examine how Indigenous and traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) can enhance coastal conservation. Through ethnographic, archival, and participatory methods, my scholarship underscores the importance of community-led initiatives in addressing environmental and social challenges.

Research Interests

Environmental Justice and Climate Adaptation
Afro-Brazilian and Indigenous Land Tenure and Territoriality
Gender, Labor, and Environmental Change
Coastal and Marine Political Ecologies & Anthropologies
Decolonial and Feminist Research Methodologies
Public Anthropology and Community-Engaged Scholarship

Education

Ph.D. in Ecological Anthropology (with a Certificate in Women and Gender Studies) – University of Georgia (2023)
- Dissertation: "Confronting Legacies of Loss: Negotiating Intergenerational Inequalities in Afro-Brazilian Traditional Communities"
M.A. in Social and Behavioral Anthropology – University of Louisville (2014)
B.A. in Social and Behavioral Anthropology, Studio Art – University of Louisville (2009)

Selected Publications

Biesel, S.A. (forthcoming 2025). "Cheia de Axé (Full of Axé): Spirituality, Resistance, and Repair in Pernambuco’s Afro-Brazilian Traditional Communities" – Feminist Anthropology (under review).
Biesel, S.A. (forthcoming 2025). "Planning’s Ghosts: Decolonizing Coastal Planning through the Lens of Afro-Brazilian Fishing Communities" – Environment and Planning E: Nature and Space (under review).
Biesel, S.A., & Mendonça, E.S. (forthcoming 2025). "Continual Loss: Racial Land Tenure and Territorial Expropriation in Pernambuco" – Journal of Political Ecology (revise and resubmit).
Seigerman, C., McKay, K.S., Basilio, R., Biesel, S.A., et al. (2023). "Operationalizing Equity for Integrated Water Resources Management" – Journal of the American Water Resources Association.
- Recipient of the 2024 Kenneth J. Lanfear Award for Outstanding Technology Paper.
Biesel, S.A. (2021). "When Disinformation Makes Sense: Contextualizing the War on Coal in Appalachian Kentucky" – Economic Anthropology.
- Top-cited article between 2021 and 2022.

For a full list of publications, please visit my CV.

Current Research

In my fellowship with the National Park Service, I am investigating how Indigenous ecological knowledge can inform more inclusive and adaptive federal land management practices. This work is rooted in partnerships with Tribal Nations to support culturally sensitive and sustainable stewardship initiatives.

Teaching Philosophy

I am committed to creating inclusive, critical, and engaged learning environments where students feel empowered to connect anthropological theories with real-world challenges. My teaching approach emphasizes collaborative learning, reflexivity, and the application of anthropological insights to contemporary social and environmental issues. I have taught courses ranging from Introduction to Cultural Anthropology to Anthropologies of Consumption and Globalization and have integrated digital humanities tools and community-based learning into my courses.

Selected Awards and Honors

National Park Foundation Interpretation Grant – $50,000 (2023)
Finalist, Rappaport Prize, Anthropology and Environment Society (2023)
Fulbright-Hays Doctoral Dissertation Research Abroad Fellowship – $38,000 (2021)
American Water Resources Association Kenneth J. Lanfear Award – Outstanding Technology Paper (2024)
Top-Cited Article Award, Economic Anthropology (2022)

Public Engagement and Media

I am actively involved in public scholarship through contributions to outlets like Cultural Anthropology, Antipode Online, Anthropology News, and Engagement. My recent essay, "Planning for Ghosts", published in the Coastal Futures series by Cultural Anthropology, reflects on how colonial legacies continue to shape contemporary coastal management practices.

I also work with interdisciplinary teams to produce accessible digital humanities content, such as the Lungs of the Earth? project, which brings attention to Brazil’s socio-environmental challenges through interactive storytelling and visual media.