AUSTIN, Texas—Professor Gregory Knapp of The University of Texas at Austin’s Department of Geography and the Environment has received a nine-month research grant from the Fulbright-Hays Faculty Research Abroad Fellowship Program to study “Water Management, Livelihoods and Landscapes in the Andes.”
“We’re delighted that Dr. Knapp has been awarded this highly competitive grant,” said Dr. William E. Doolittle, department chair. “This is his second Fulbright-Hays Fellowship, which is truly an impressive accomplishment, and demonstrates Knapp’s stature as one of the premier geographers focusing on Latin America.”
Fulbright-Hays awardees are selected based on the originality, significance and theoretical importance of their research, as well as their qualifications for carrying it out and their impact on transforming area studies programs. The U.S. Department of Education will award Fulbright-Hays grants to approximately 27 faculty members nationwide for the 2005-06 academic year.
Knapp’s previous research has helped define and explain patterns and processes of land use in the Andes. His pioneering research has demonstrated the importance of irrigation in mountain environments, and showed how high elevation environments are not necessarily associated with lower agricultural productivity. He also has performed innovative research on the distribution of indigenous peoples in the contemporary Andes. His nine books and monographs include edited overviews of research agendas, results of research on Andean adaptive dynamics, irrigation and linguistic geography, and a textbook on South America.
In addition to the Department of Geography and the Environment, which he chaired for eight years, Knapp is affiliated with the Teresa Lozano Long Institute of Latin American Studies, the Environmental Science Institute and the Population Research Center. His previous Fulbright-Hays grant supported work in Peru, Ecuador, Argentina and Chile. Students supervised by Knapp also have received five Fulbright dissertation research awards.
For more information contact: Dr. Gregory Knapp, 512-232-1588 or 512-471-5116.