People
E. Christian Wells
Professor and Director: Center for Brownfields Research & Redevelopment
Contact
Office: SOC 385
Phone: 813/974-2337
Email: ecwells@usf.edu
Education
- Ph.D., Anthropology, Arizona State University
- M.A., Anthropology, Arizona State University
- B.A., Anthropology, Archaeological Studies, and Latin American Studies, Oberlin College
Teaching
Environmental Justice, Cultural Anthropology, Applied Anthropology, Proposal Writing, Research Methods, Quantitative Methods, and Advanced Quantitative Methods.
Research
I am an applied environmental anthropologist with an interdisciplinary background in the social and natural sciences. I maintain a diverse portfolio of research projects aimed at improving human and environmental health outcomes of re/development efforts in underserved communities. My current research emphasizes environmental justice, brownfields challenges, land use legacies, sustainable and equitable development, water/wastewater management, and science-policy interactions.
Recent Articles
- Webb, A. W., E. C. Wells, C. Prouty, R. K. Zarger, and M. A. Trotz. 2024. Ethics and Ambiguity in Wastewater Development in Placenica, Belize. Annals of Anthropological Practice 48(1):130-145.
- Caballero, G. W., E. C. Wells, S. A. Echols, and E. H. Peaslee. 2024. Environmental Justice from the Ground(water) Up: Coping with Contamination in Tallevast, Florida. Local Environment 29(6):722-735.
- Vidmar, A. M., E. C. Wells, M. Zheng, N. Award, S. Combs, and D. Diaz. 2023. “That’s What We Call ‘Aesthetics,’ Not a Public Health Issue:” The Social Construction of Tap Water Mistrust in an Underbounded Community. Human Organization 82(4):342-353.
- Wells, E. C., A. M. Vidmar, W. A. Webb, A. C. Ferguson, M. E. Verbyla, F. de los Reyes III, Q. Zhang, and J. M. Mihelcic. 2022. Meeting the Water and Sanitation Challenges of Underbounded Communities in the U.S. Environmental Science & Technology 56(16):11180-11188.
- Abdel-Mottaleb, N., P. G. Saghand, M. J. Wakhungu, H. Charkhgard, E. C. Wells, and Q. Zhang. 2022. Identifying Critical Isolation Valves in a Water Distribution Network: A Socio-Technical Approach. Water 14(21):3587.
- Wakhungu, M., N. Abdel-Mottaleb, E. C. Wells, and Q. Zhang. 2021. Geospatial Vulnerability Framework for Identifying Water Infrastructure Inequalities. Journal of Environmental Engineering 147(9):04021034.
- Alexander, W. L., E. C. Wells, M. Lincoln, B. Y. Davis, and P. Little. 2021. Environmental Justice Ethnography in the Classroom: Teaching Activism, Inspiring Involvement. Human Organization 80(1):37-48.
- Lehigh, G. R., E. C. Wells, and D. Diaz. 2020. Evidence-informed Strategies for Promoting Equitability in Brownfields Redevelopment. Journal of Environmental Management 261(1):110150.
- Libby, J. A., E. C. Wells, and J. R. Mihelcic. 2020. Moving up the Sanitation Ladder while Considering Function: An Assessment of Indigenous Communities, Pit Latrine Users, and Their Perceptions of Resource-recovery Sanitation Technology in Panama. Environmental Science & Technology 54(23):15405–15413.
- Meehan, K., W. Jepson, L. Harris, A. Wutich, M. Beresford, A. Fencl, J. London, G. Pierce, L. Radonic, E. C. Wells, N. Wilson, E. Adams, R. Arsenault, A. Brewis, V. Harrington, Y. Lambrinidou, D. McGregor, R. Patrick, B. Pauli, A. Pearson, S. Shah, D. Splichalova, C. Workman, and S. Young. 2020. Exposing the Myths of Household Water Insecurity in the Global North: A Critical Review. WIREs Water 7(6):e1486.
- Mohebbi, S., Q. Zhang, E. C. Wells, T. Zhao, H. Nguyen, M. Li, N. Abdel-Mottaleb, S. Uddin, Q. Lu, M. J. Wakhungu, Z. Wu, Y. Zhang, A. Tuladhar, and X. Ou. 2020. Cyber-Physical-Social Interdependencies and Organizational Resilience: A Review of Water, Transportation, and Cyber Infrastructure Systems and Processes. Sustainable Cities and Society 62:102327.
- Wells, E. C., W. A. Webb, C. M. Prouty, R. K. Zarger, M. A. Trotz, L. M. Whiteford, and J. R. Mihelcic. 2019. Wastewater Technopolitics on the Southern Coast of Belize. Economic Anthropology 6(2):277-290.
- Prouty, C., E. S. Koenig, E. C. Wells, R. K. Zarger, and Q. Zhang. 2017. Rapid Assessment Framework for Modeling Stakeholder Involvement in Infrastructure Development. Sustainable Cities and Society 29:130-138.
- Mihelcic, J. R., C. C. Naughton, M. E. Verbyla, Q. Zhang, R. W. Schweitzer, S. M. Oakley, E. C. Wells, and L. M. Whiteford. 2017. The Grandest Challenge of All: The Role of Environmental Engineering to Achieve Sustainability in the World's Developing Regions. Environmental Engineering Science 34(1):16-41.
- Wells, E. C., R. K. Zarger, L. M. Whiteford, J. R. Mihelcic, E. S. Koenig, and M. R. Cairns. 2016. The Impacts of Tourism Development on Perceptions and Practices of Sustainable Wastewater Management on the Placencia Peninsula, Belize. Journal of Cleaner Production 111:430-441.
Recent Grants
- Jones, D., and E. C. Wells. 2023-2027. “Brownfields Job Training Program for East Tampa.” Brownfields Job Training Program, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency; $500,000.
- Ergas, S., E. C. Wells, J. Mihelcic, M. Arias, Q. Zhang, M. Nachabe, and M. Lusk. 2023-2026. “Zombie to Living Community Ponds by Novel Bio-infiltration.” Gulf of Mexico Program, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency; $1,499,759.
- Bolden, D., K. Owusu-Daaku, and E. C. Wells. 2023-2025. “Using Transformative Scenario Planning to Address Structural Racism in Health in North Port St. Joe, Florida.” Interdisciplinary Research Leaders, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation; $125,000.
- Trotz, M. A., E. C. Wells, K. A. Alfredo, R. Sears, and M. E. Carrasquillo. 2022-2026. “Collaborative Research: Challenging Anti-Black-Racism in Civil and Environmental Engineering Curriculum.” Improving Undergraduate STEM Education (IUSE), National Science Foundation; $2,000,000.
- Wells, E. C., L. Ward, and W. Washington. 2022-2026. “Community-wide Brownfield Assessment for Tallevast, Manatee County, Florida.” Community-wide Brownfield Assessment Grant Program (CBAG), U.S. Environmental Protection Agency; $500,000.
- Jones, D., and E. C. Wells. 2020-2022. “Environmental Workforce Development and Job Training Program for East Tampa.” Environmental Workforce Development and Job Training (EWDJT) Program, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency; $200,000.
- Wells, E. C. 2017-2019. "Brownfields Area-Wide Planning Project for the University Area Community, Hillsborough County, Florida." Brownfields Area-Wide Planning Grant Program (BAWPG), U.S. Environmental Protection Agency; $200,000.
- Zhang, Q., E. C. Wells, S. Mohebbi, X. Ou, and Q. Lu. 2016-2018. "Integrative Decision Making Framework to Enhance the Resiliency of Interdependent Critical Infrastructures." Critical Resilient Interdependent Infrastructure Systems and Processes (CRIISP), National Science Foundation; $1,963,542.
- Mihelcic, J. R., E. C. Wells, M. Trotz, and C. McKayle. 2013-2017. "Context Sensitive Implementation of Synergistic Water-Energy Systems." Partnerships for International Research and Education (PIRE), National Science Foundation; $3,920,644.
Graduate Students
Serena Echols and Abby Vidmar