POSITIONS HELD
University of Northern Colorado
2013-present Assistant Professor, Department of Political Science & International Affairs / Environmental & Sustainability Studies
University of California, Santa Cruz
2012-2013 Instructor, Department of Politics
2010-2012 Instructor, Department of Latin American & Latino Studies
2007-2012 Teaching Assistant, Departments of Politics and Latin American & Latino Studies
TEACHING & RESEARCH AREAS
Comparative politics, Latin American politics, globalization, politics of developing states, public policy, environmental politics and policy, community-based resource governance, water, climate change, social movements and collective action, Central America, Nicaragua.
EDUCATION
University of California, Santa Cruz
PhD, Politics, December 2012
Degree Minor: Latin American & Latino Studies
University of Puget Sound, Tacoma, WA
B.A. with Honors in Foreign Language and International Affairs, May 2003
Emphasis in Spanish & Economics Minor Latin American Studies
Center for Global Education, Guatemala, El Salvador & Nicaragua
Sustainable Economic Development and Social Change program 2002
BOOKS
Forthcoming (2019). Rural Water Governance in Nicaragua: From Resource Management to Political Activism. Under contract with The University of Arizona Press.
2016 Romano, Sarah T. De la gestión de recursos al activismo social: Los CAPS y la gobernanza del agua rural en Nicaragua. Managua, Nicaragua: Edisa.
REFEREED JOURNAL ARTICLES
2018 Romano, S.T. & Daum, C. “Transformative Practices of Teacher-Scholar-Activists in the Era of Trump.” New Political Science (forthcoming). doi: 10.1080/07393148.2018.1487114.
2018 Romano, S.T. & Highby, W. “Environmental Activism of Teacher-Scholars in the Neoliberal University.” New Political Science (forthcoming). doi: 10.1080/07393148.2018.1487112.
2017 Romano, S.T. “Transforming Participation in Water Governance: the Multisectoral Alliances of Water Committees and NGOs in Nicaragua.” International Journal of Water Resources Development. doi: 10.1080/07900627.2017.1363722.
2017 Romano, S.T. “Building Sustainable Water Governance from the Grassroots: ‘Organic Empowerment’ and Its Policy Implications in Nicaragua.” Society and Natural Resources, 30(4): 471-487.
2017. LaVanchy, G.T., Romano, S.T., & Taylor, M.J. “Challenges to water security along the ‘Emerald Coast’: a political ecology of local water governance in Nicaragua.” Water, 9(9): 655.
2016 Romano, S.T. “Democratizing Discourses: Conceptions of Ownership, Autonomy, and ‘the State’ in Nicaragua’s Rural Water Governance.” Water International 41(1): 74-90.
2014 Lu, F., Ocampo-Raeder, C., Romano, S.T., & Crow, B. “Equitable water governance: Future directions in the understanding and analysis of water inequities in the global South.” Water International 39(2): 129-142. (Correction to authorship here)
2012 Romano, S.T. “From Protest to Proposal: The Contentious Politics of the Nicaraguan Anti-Water Privatization Social Movement.” Bulletin of Latin American Research 31(4): 499-514.
BOOK CHAPTERS
2018. Romano, S.T. & Highby, W. “Campus Organizing towards the Democratization of Shale Oil and Gas Governance in Higher Education.” In J. Whitton, M. Cotton, & K. Brasier, eds., Governing Shale Gas: Development, Citizen Participation and Decision Making in the US, Canada, Australia and Europe. Earthscan Routledge.
2017. Romano, S.T. “Building Sustainable Water Governance from the Grassroots: ‘Organic Empowerment’ and Its Policy Implications in Nicaragua.” In P.L. Taylor and D.A. Sonnenfeld, eds., Water Crises and Governance: Reinventing Collaborative Institutions in an Era of Uncertainty. Philadelphia and London: Taylor & Francis Publishers. (Originally published in Society and Natural Resources, 30(4))
2017 Romano, S.T. “Democratizing Discourses: Conceptions of Ownership, Autonomy and ‘the State’ in Nicaragua’s Rural Water Governance.” In R. Boelens, et al., eds., Hydrosocial Territories and Water Equity: Theory, Governance, and Sites of Struggle. Routledge. (Originally published in Water International, 40(1)).
COMMISSIONED PAPERS
2012 Lipschutz, R. & S.T. Romano. “The Cupboard is Full: Public Finances for Public Services in the Global South.” Municipal Services Project, Occasional Paper No. 16 (March).
RESEARCH GRANTS
External Support
2019-2020 Fulbright Scholars Award
2012-2013 National Science Foundation, Workshop Co-Organizer & Post-Doc: “Multi-Scalar & Cross-Disciplinary Approaches towards Equitable Water Governance” ($50,000)
2009-2010 Fulbright Fellowship, Institute of International Education ($14,500)
2009-2010 Pacific Rim Research Program Grant, Univ. of California ($10,800)
2009 Pacific Rim Research Program Mini-Grant, Univ. of California ($5,000)
Internal Support
2018 Provost Award for Travel, University of Northern Colorado ($3,130)
2017 Provost Award for Travel, University of Northern Colorado ($896)
2016 Summer Support Initiative grant, University of Northern Colorado ($6,000)
2016 Provost Award for Travel, University of Northern Colorado ($5,257)
2015 Summer Support Initiative grant, University of Northern Colorado ($5,000)
2014 Provost Award for Travel, University of Northern Colorado ($3,775)
2014 Summer Support Initiative grant, University of Northern Colorado ($3,000)
2013-2015 Research, Dissemination and Faculty Development award, University of Northern Colorado ($9,878)
2009-12 Graduate Student Association Travel Grant, UC Santa Cruz
2008 Chicano/Latino Research Center Research Grant, UC Santa Cruz
2007 Department of Politics Travel Grant, UC Santa Cruz
INVITED TALKS/PANELS
2017 “Water Equity and Environmental Justice: Where do we go from here?” The Water Center and Environmental Justice CSU Symposium, Colorado State University
2016 “Environmental and Energy Justice in the University Context,” Energy Justice Roundtable, Colorado State University
2015 “From Resource Management to Political Activism: Extralocal Allies and the Construction of Multi-Scalar Water Networks in Nicaragua,” Department of Geography and Environmental Studies Colloquium, University of Denver
CONFERENCE SESSIONS ORGANIZED
2018 “In Pursuit of Equity: Water and Climate Justice,” American Association of Geographers Conference, April 10-14, New Orleans.
2016 “The Politics of Community-Based Water Governance: State-Society Relations,” Latin American Studies Association, New York, May 27-30.
2016 “Multi-scalar Conflicts over Hydraulic Fracturing,” American Association of Geographers, San Francisco, March 29-April 2 (with Jen Schneider, Boise State).
2014 “Fracking Landscapes: Examinations of Governance, Identity and Resistance,” American Association of Geographers Conference, Tampa, FL, April 8-12 (with Shaunna Barnhart, Allegeny University).
2013 “Mobilizing the Masses: Civil Society and the Right to Water,” American Association of Geographers Conference, Los Angeles, CA, April 9-11 (with Adam French, UCSC).
2011 “From Co-production to Co-optation: The Multi-Scalar Politics of Community Organizing for Resource Governance,” American Association of Geographers Conference, Seattle, WA, April 12-16 (with Kathleen O’Reilly, Texas A&M).
SELECTED CONFERENCE PRESENTATIONS
2017 “Examining the Legalization of Nonstate Water Management Regimes in Latin America,” American Political Science Association, San Francisco, August 31-September 3.
2016 “Transforming Participation in Water Governance: The Multisectoral Alliances of Rural Water Committees and NGOs in Nicaragua,” World Congress of Rural Sociology, Toronto, August 9-14.
2016 “Más allá de las leyes”: Examining State Recognition of Community-Based Water Management Regimes in Nicaragua,” Latin American Studies Association, New York, May 27-30.
2016 “From ‘Frackademia’ to ‘Ecological Democracy’: Faculty Engagement in the Context of University Governance,” American Association of Geographers Conference, San Francisco, March 29-April 2.
2014 “Democratizing Discourses: Conceptions of Ownership, Autonomy, and ‘the State’ in Nicaragua’s Rural Water Governance,” paper presented at Regadio, Sociedad, Territorio Congreso Internacional, Valencia, Spain, September 24-27.
2014 “Geographical Research on the Fracking Frontier: Understanding the social and environmental dimensions of developing shale fossil fuels,” panelist, American Association of Geographers Conference, Tampa, April 9-14.
2014 “Fear and Fracking in Colorado: Faculty Inquiry, Activism, and Abstention at the University of Northern Colorado,” co-authored paper (with Wendy Highby, UNCO) presented at the American Association of Geographers Conference, Tampa, April 9-14.
2013 “Democratizing Discourses: Conceptions of Ownership, Autonomy, and ‘the State’ in Nicaragua’s Rural Water Governance,” paper presented at the International Studies Association Conference, San Francisco, April 3-6.
2012 “Organic Empowerment: Rural Water Provision & the Construction of Legitimacy from the Bottom Up,” paper presented at the Latin American Studies Association Conference, San Francisco, May 23-26.
2012 “Bridging Divides: ‘External Allies’ & the Construction of Multi-Actor Networks for Water Governance in Central America,” paper presented at the International Studies Association Conference, San Diego, April 1-4.
2011 “Navigating Political Waters: The Role of State-Society Networks in Nicaragua’s Rural Water Governance,” paper presented at the American Association of Geographers Conference, Seattle, WA, April 12-16.
2010 “Co-producing Flows: Grassroots Water Committees, NGOs and the State in Rural Nicaragua,” paper presented at the Latin American Studies Association Conference, Toronto, October 6-9.
2009 “Democratization through Resistance: The Contentious Politics of the Nicaraguan Anti-Water Privatization Social Movement,” paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the Midwest Political Science Association, Chicago, April 2-5.
2009 “It’s All For Sale: Market Mania, Eco-Barons and the New Geographies of Enclosures & Openings,” panel member at the American Association of Geographers Conference, Las Vegas, March 22-17.
SERVICE TO THE PROFESSION
2017-2018 Guest editor, “Transformative Practices of Teacher-Scholar-Activists in the Era of Trump,” New Political Science (forthcoming Sept. 2018)
2015-present Peer reviewer: Energy Research and Social Science, Geoforum, Human Organization, Journal of Rural Studies, Land Use Policy, Law and Society Review, Local Environment, Palgrave Macmillan, Water Alternatives
2016-present Editorial Board, Water and Knowledge, National Autonomous University, Nicaragua
2015-present Board member, Energy & Environment Specialty Group, American Association of Geographers
2016 Consultant, Enabling the Business of Agriculture project, World Bank Indicators Group
PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS
American Political Science Association (APSA)
American Association of Geographers (AAG)
American Association of University Professors (AAUP)
Latin American Studies Association (LASA)
CAMPUS SERVICE
2017 Faculty advisor, Earth Guardians student club, UNCO
2016-present Faculty-led Student Support Task Force, UNCO
2016-present McNair Scholars Program faculty mentor, UNCO
2013-present Community and Civic Engagement Committee, UNCO
2013-2015 Hydrofracturing Task Force (Frack*ED), UNCO
2011 International Development Research Cluster, UC Santa Cruz
2008-09 Political Ecology Working Group, UC Santa Cruz
CAMPUS TALKS
2015 “Clean Water in Nicaragua,” UNCO
2013 “Water Rights in Latin America and Weld County,” UNCO
2008 Discussant, “Formalities of Poverty: Thinking about Social Assistance in Neoliberal South Africa,” Dr. James Ferguson (Stanford University), UC Santa Cruz
TEACHING EXPERIENCE
University-Level Instructorships
Comparative Environmental Politics ♦ Environmental Social Movements ♦ Environmental Governance ♦ Latin American Politics ♦ International Law and Organization ♦ International Political Economy ♦ Globalization ♦ Global Issues ♦ Drug Wars ♦ Democracy, Citizenship & Human Rights in Latin America ♦ Organizing Across the Americas ♦ Scientific Writing
Graduate Teaching Assistantships
Social Science Analytics ♦ Politics & Society: Concepts & Methods ♦ State & Capitalism in American Political Development ♦ Democratic Politics ♦ Democracy & Society ♦ Congress, the Court & the Presidency ♦ The Nation-State & Global Politics ♦ Global Organization.
OTHER PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT & TRAINING
2017 Teaching and Learning Conference, American Political Science Association
2016 Writing and Designing NSF Proposals, Grant Training Center, Denver, CO
2016 Flipped Classroom workshop, Center for Teaching and Learning, UNCO
2016 Teaching Writing workshop, Center for Teaching and Learning, UNCO
2015 Quality Matters Teaching Academy for Online Learning graduate, UNCO
2014 Introduction to Service Learning: An Engaged Faculty Institute, Campus Compact of the Mountain West, Denver, CO
NON-ACADEMIC WORK EXPERIENCE
2005-2006 Research Assistant, OMNI Research & Training, Denver, CO
2003-04 Program Associate, Institute of Cultural Affairs, Washington, D.C.
2003 Cuba Project Assistant, Center for International Policy, Washington, D.C.
COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT
2017 Board member, 350 Colorado
2014-present 350 Northern Colorado
2013-present Weld Air and Water
LANGUAGES & OTHER SKILLS
Spanish fluency
Working knowledge of group facilitation methods in focused conversation, action planning, strategic planning, and consensus building.
