Melanie Malone

Associate Professor

Melanie Malone

Associate Professor

Education

Ph.D., Earth, Environment and Society, 2017 | Portland State University, Portland, OR

M.S., Soil Science, 2008 | Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR

B.A., Geology and English Double Major, 2005 | Williams College, Williamstown, MA

Courses

  • BEARTH 317 Soils and the Environment
  • BIS 342 Geographic Information Systems
  • BIS 307 Environmental Justice
  • BIS 344 Intermediate GIS
  • BIS 242 Environmental Geography
  • BIS 490/BIS 408 Critical Physical Geography

Teaching Interests

  • Critical physical geography
  • Soil science
  • Water quality
  • GIS and remote sensing
  • Contamination
  • Erosion
  • Community science
  • Translating policy to on the ground practice

Research and Scholarship Interests

My research draws on critical physical geography to examine the physical, political, and cultural dimensions of environmental challenges. I have conducted research in many remote and urban locations in the Pacific Northwest, often working at the intersections of soil science, water quality, contamination, and remote sensing. I also strongly value community science and reciprocal scholarship, and much of my research involves working with communities to mitigate exposure to contamination and challenging inequitable policies in a variety of landscapes and places.

 

Some of my current research projects include investigating the concentration levels of contamination in community identified sites in the Lower Duwamish Superfund and how climate change and flooding increases exposure to contamination; examining how a lack of health regulations in urban community gardens in soils and plants in Seattle, Washington influence community health; and sampling for contaminants with indigenous Hawaiians impacted by the 2023 wildfire in Lahaina.

  • UW Husky Sustainability Award (2023)
  • Board of Regents showcasing of Critical Physical Geography advanced class (March 2023)
  • UW Bothell Connected Learning Excellence Award 2021 ($6,000)
  • UW Bothell Interdisciplinary Arts & Sciences Fall 2020 Faculty Feature
  • Association of Collegiate Planning (ACSP) Curriculum Innovation Award Winner (Co-PI) ($7,000) (2020-2021)
  • NSF IGERT Mentor 2016-2017 academic year
  • URS Junior Professional Award for Outstanding Performance and Excellence (2010)
  • Second Place Poster Presentation Award for “Predictive Mapping in the Fremont National Forest, Oregon” Awarded by AAAS, Pacific Division and WSSS (2007)
  • EPA Science to Achieve Results (STAR) Climate Change and Environmental Justice (PI) ($1,267,559). (2022-2025)
  • USDA Partnership for Climate-Smart Commodities National Funding Opportunity (Co-PI) ($4,865,136) (2023-2028)
  • Tier 3 UW 1 Grant: Scaling for Greater Impact Spring 2022 (PI) ($200,000) (2022-2024)
  • King County Department of Natural Resources and Parks. Funds to sample Wastewater Treatment Soils at Study Farm for CPG class. (PI) ($55,000) (2022)
  • Antipode Foundation Right to the Discipline Award (Co-PI) ($14,100) (2021-2022)
  • Living Landscape Incubator Grant (Bullitt Foundation and University of Washington) (PI) ($18,750) (2021-2022)
  • National Science Foundation (NSF) Advancing Informal Learning in STEM (AISL) (Co-PI) “RESTING SAFE: Collaborative Informal STEM Learning Between Researchers and Homeless Communities” ($400,000) (2020-2023)
  • University of Washington COVID-19 Population Health Initiative Equity Research Grant (PI) ($20,000) (2020-2021)
  • Urban@UW Research Spark Grant (Co-PI) ($20,000) (2020-2021)
  • St Edward Environmental Education and Research Center UWB investment Fund (Co-PI) ($600,000) (2021-2024)
  • University of Washington Royalty Research Fund (PI) ($39,993) (2020-2021)
  • Antipode Foundation Scholar-Activist Project Awards (Co-PI) ($13,285) (2018-2019)
  • BLM (OR/WA) Analysis and Monitoring of Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument Resources (PI) ($225,000) (2017- 2022)