An expert in environmental conflict and the sociology of energy systems, Dylan Bugden has been named Boeing Distinguished Professor in Environmental Sociology in the College of Arts and Sciences.
Bugden is an enthusiastic educator and researcher who examines environmental electoral politics, social movements, and land-use conflicts with a focus on energy infrastructure and resources, said Monica Kirkpatrick Johnson, department chair. He also studies the unequal distribution of environmental risks and benefits, particularly as they intersect with public conflicts.
“The Boeing Professorship is a genuinely transformative resource for my work and for the research being done in the new Environment and Society Laboratory,” Bugden said. “The sociology department at WSU is known nationally as the historical home of environmental sociology, and our lab will build on this legacy while expanding it in new, exciting directions.”
Working with students and other faculty in the lab, Bugden seeks to identify the social roots of environmental and energy challenges and to inform equitable structural solutions. The lab was established with support from his Boeing professorship and provides opportunities for students to develop and apply critical knowledge and skills in research, education and outreach.