Her research unifies several research domains that contribute to the knowledge of local politics in watersheds and how they shape urban water infrastructure development in the past, in the present, and under future predictions. Her ongoing research and teaching commitments investigate water insecurity and justice within municipal water systems and the links between multi-scale policies, infrastructural and environmental conditions, and household behavior. Dr. Haeffner's work focuses on “just water” and how social, political, and biophysical factors structure access to water, using the concept of environmental justice to draw attention to issues of fairness and equality in the ways different social groups gain access to natural resources.
Dr. Haeffner received a BA/MA in Sociology from DePaul University and a Masters in Science through the Department of Urban Studies and Planning from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. She received her PhD from Colorado State University (CSU) in the Graduate Degree Program of Ecology, with a specialization in human-environment interactions.
Current Graduate Students
Wendy Sangucho Loachamin (PhD)
Tapiwa Chabikwa (MS)