Alexis attended the Colorado Governor’s Tourism Conference from September 23-25 in Breckenridge Colorado. Alexis’ participation was supported by the Colorado Governor’s Tourism Conference Student Scholarship! This conference provided the opportunity to engage with topics like “Purpose meets place: Rethinking the visitor-community relationship,” “Stewardship in Action: From Strategy to on-the-ground action,” “Good for Business: Two ways for Colorado’s Tourism Business to Start their Stewardship Journey,” and many many more engaging topics!
A giant thank you to the Colorado Tourism Office for this opportunity, the Breckenridge Tourism Office for hosting this grand event, The Cavaliere Critical Conservation Lab for supporting Alexis’ attendance, The Colorado Tourism Research Network for sharing information, and all the speakers, attendees, and critical minds that contributed. Colorado’s destination stewardship initiatives are supporting great strides in tourism planning while sharing both successes and challenges along the way. The lab is proud of how Alexis continues to apply herself throughout her PhD journey and consistently strives to learn all she can.
Human Dimensions of Natural Resources The Cavaliere Critical Conservation Research Lab
Dr. Christina T. Cavaliere is recruiting for a Graduate Teaching Assistantship to support a doctoral student starting August 2027. Dr. Cavaliere is a tenured Associate Professor, conservation social scientist and international sustainable stewardship specialist with a focus on tourism impacts and biocultural conservation. She directs The Cavaliere Critical Conservation research lab at Colorado State University in the department of Human Dimensions of Natural Resources (HDNR) housed within the Warner College of Natural Resources (WCNR).
The Cavaliere Critical Conservation lab’s mission is to advance biocultural conservation research by centering subjugated intersectional knowledges. By employing critical ecofeminist and posthumanist methodologies, the research engages affective, sensory, aesthetic, and emotional dimensions of place‑based knowledge. The lab seeks to illuminate the nuances of biocultural identities to strengthen justice, ecological resilience, and regenerative human–nature relationships for wellbeing.
The successful PhD applicant for this position would work in the lab and pursue an independent research project related to Dr. Cavaliere’s researchon tourism and biocultural conservation. The student should be interested in pursuing research in the lab that centers tourism, conservation, and intersectional power structuresas related to protected areas, wildlife, equity, recreation, gender, climate change, sustainability, policy, and/or governance. See the lab’s blog for more information.
The PhD position would include annual tuition support and funding through a Graduate Teaching Assistantship within the department. The successful applicant will be offered support for the first year and then reviewed annually to determine future funding. The applicant must have previously obtained a master’s degree with a research thesis in an area related to tourism and conservation and have experience with qualitative and quantitative methodology.
Prospective students should email application materials to Dr. Cavaliere at christina.cavaliere@colostate.edu by 15 February 2027. To ensure full consideration please include separate PDFs of the following materials labeled using the numbers below. Only applicants selected for interviews will be contacted.
Academic CV
Academic writing sample: (thesis and/or a published article)
Graduate Record Examination (GRE) results
Unofficial bachelors & masters transcripts (master’s degree in related area required)
Cover letter (address how previous experience is related to lab mission)
Research Proposal (address lab mission: 3-pages and academic reference list)
Dr. Christina T. Cavaliere’s commitment to academic mentorship and scholarly excellence has led to a wonderful achievement for her current PhD student, Alexis Foster, who has been awarded the prestigious Dr. Jean Bethke Elshtain Scholarship. As the director of the Cavaliere Critical Conservation Lab, housed in the Human Dimensions of Natural Resources Department in the Warner College of Natural Resources at Colorado State University, Dr. Cavaliere has cultivated an environment that nurtures rigorous research focused on conservation social science, sustainable tourism, critical thinking and social-ecological justice. Dr. Cavaliere’s nomination articulated Alexis’ contributions to these fields, demonstrating a strong alignment with the intellectual legacy of Dr. Jean Elshtain, whose work in social and political ethics continues to shape academic discourse.
Following a rigorous selection process, Alexis Foster was chosen as a recipient of this distinguished scholarship, recognizing her dedication to interdisciplinary research under Dr. Cavaliere’s tutelage. In the research lab, they extend Dr. Cavaliere’s intersectional research that integrates ecofeminist perspectives, justice, and sustainable tourism management. Alexis’ scholarship will empower her to continue her doctoral work focused on the impacts of overtourism within Colorado’s Lory State Park and Horsetooth Reservoir.
Congratulations to Dr. Cavaliere for her steadfast mentorship and support of her students and for fostering a research lab that exemplifies critical inquiry. Additionally, congratulations to Alexis Foster for this well-earned scholarly distinction. Their achievements reflect the pursuit of academic excellence and ethical engagement that define the mission of the Dr. Jean Bethke Elshtain Scholarship. Dr. Cav and Alexis extend their deep gratitude to all those involved with the scholarship selection committee!
