Keri Agriesti

Degree, Program, and date of graduation: Master’s of Geography. Graduation: August 2012

Dates of working with the WGD Program: August 2010 through August 2012 for Gender CCRA in SANREM Innovation Lab

What work did you do with the WGD program?

"I am a graduate research assistant for the Gender CCRA in the Sustainable Agriculture and Natural Resource Management Collaborative Research Support Program (SANREM Innovation Lab), where I work with Dr. Maria Elisa Christie. Over the past two years, I have helped expand the research strategy for the current phase of the Gender CCRA, which focuses on Gendered Perspectives for Conservation Agriculture: Local soil knowledge and crop-livestock interaction. Last summer I went to the Andean region of Bolivia to study and learn about smallholder farming practices and the biophysical environment, focusing on gendered soil knowledge, practices, and spaces through participatory mapping."

Most exciting experience, interesting discovery, or connections made:

"One of the most exciting experiences and opportunities that I’ve had is when I went to Bolivia for fieldwork. Some of my most fond memories include living with a family in the community, walking the steep Andean slopes, visiting farmers, and pasturing sheep. Having the opportunity to experience and engage with people in a different place, and learning about the ways men and women see and map the landscape, was extremely humbling and rewarding. It has also been exciting to bring back what I learned and work with Dr. Christie to apply the research to the Gender CCRA and a thesis."

After-graduation plans:

"I hope to pursue a doctorate in geography and continue research about gendered knowledge and space, participatory mapping, and political ecology."

How has the WGD program influenced your future?

"Dr. Christie taught me how to include gender analysis in research surrounding rural, smallholder farmers and conservation agriculture. She also taught me about how participatory mapping is a useful tool to study gendered cultural and spatial diversity, and recognize women’s work. I hope to apply these concepts and tools in my future work."

Related Stories

·         Graduate student researches gender roles in Bolivian Andes - a news story from January 2012 about Keri Agriesti’s trip to Bolivia’s Andean region.