Meet River Johnson, 2021 NSF REU Scholar

This is the 6th in a 10-part blog series introducing the world to our 2021 NSF REU/RET Scholars.

Bio: My name is River Johnson, and I am a Junior at Utah State University, where I am majoring in Human-Environmental Geography and pursuing an Inclusive Leadership Certificate. Being an International Community Scholar in the UCF REU Site means having the resources and guidance to enhance my passion for inclusive approaches to intersectional problems. Through education and empowerment, this opportunity will help me amplify local voices and aid vulnerable coastal communities in claiming their rightful stake in what happens where they live. This is done through a variety of mixed methods, which takes into account the diversity of stakeholders in the area. As an International Community Scholar, I will work with people from varied backgrounds with a multitude of perspectives on various issues and ideas- which, will in turn, expand my understanding, empathy, and approach to the work I am doing.