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  BRIAN IKAIKA KLEIN

About ME

I'm a political ecologist interested in environmental governance and global development, especially in frontier settings across the Global South. I earned my PhD in environmental science, policy, and management from UC Berkeley in 2020. My doctoral dissertation examines the role of local-level natural resource management institutions in shaping access, agency, and accumulation in Madagascar’s artisanal and small-scale gold mining sector. At the center of my work is a commitment to producing policy-relevant research informed by interdisciplinary analysis aimed at achieving more equitable and sustainable outcomes for smallholder resource extractors and rural communities—in Madagascar, and across the globe. 

Prior to entering academia, I worked in Washington, DC at organizations including the World Bank, U.S. Peace Corps, Union of Concerned Scientists, and Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars. I served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Madagascar from 2010-2012, and earned a B.A. in political science and international peace studies from the University of Notre Dame in 2008. 
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I was born and raised in Hawai‘i—and try to get back as frequently as possible.

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  • Home
  • About Me
  • Curriculum Vitae
  • Research Affiliations
  • Contact
  • Blog