Political Ecologist is 2004 Dhaliwal Distinguished Speaker on India

MILWAUKEE, January 26, 2004
University of Wisconsin

Paul Robbins, associate professor, Geography, Ohio State University, is this year's Kartar Singh Dhaliwal Distinguished Speaker on India. Robbins will present "Fixed Categories in a Portable Landscape: Measuring and disputing land cover change in Rajasthan, India," on Friday, Feb. 6, 2 p.m. at the UWM Golda Meir Libraries, AGS Library. A reception will follow the presentation.

An expert of political ecology, Robbins will address the question: Are forests expanding or contracting in the ecologically fragile areas of India? In order to answer this question, he conducted extensive research in the Kumbhalgarh forest of Rajasthan, a wildlife preserve situated in the midst of a heavily cultivated landscape where thousands of people scratch out a living.

Robbins' says that his decade of research in India, North America and specifically, Yellowstone, led to his thesis that "People make nature, but not the nature of their own choosing. In other words, human struggles over forests and other environments not only collide with one another, but also with the diverse interests of wildlife and plants, producing surprising outcomes that might not have been predicted." His newest book, "Political Ecology: A Critical Introduction," introduces the field of political ecology to readers with limited background in this field.

The Dhaliwal Distinguished Speaker is named for the father of Milwaukee-area businessman Darshan Singh Dhaliwal, president of Bulk Petroleum Corp. A UWM College of Letters and Science donor, Darshan Dhaliwal's gift supports enhancing the knowledge and understanding of the Indian world by UWM students and the greater Milwaukee community.

His gift also provides support for the Kartar Singh Dhaliwal Professorship. Rina Ghose, assistant professor, Geography, who focuses on Geographic Information Systems (GIS), is designated the Dhaliwal Professor through 2006.

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