Melissa Bernardo

Bio

Dr. Melissa Bernardo is a social science researcher and professor in the Department of Global and Sociocultural Studies at Florida International University. Her broad scholarly interest is the relationship between local communities and their environments. More specifically, she has focused on critical resilience approaches used by Miami-Dade farmers and how such practices have impacted environmental governance in larger South Florida. Her current research centers on the question of how Miami River communities are forging new pathways based on alternative knowledges while facing urban gentrification. She incorporates multiple methodologies in her research, including ethnography, GIS, and quantitative data analysis.

Dr. Bernardo utilizes an engaged teaching pedagogy. She is committed to helping her students draw connections between classroom lessons and their own personal lived experiences. She strives to 1) provide the necessary content and skillset that allows for critical thinking, 2) empower her students to see themselves as knowledge producers, and 3) to promote active learning in each of her courses. Like many students who have attended FIU, Dr. Bernardo is a first-generation college graduate and enjoys mentoring both undergraduate and graduate level students.

Degrees

Ph.D., Global and Sociocultural Studies, Florida International University

Graduate Certificate in GIS and Remote Sensing, FIU

B.S., Behavioral Science, Drew University

Courses

Research Methods, Intro to Quantitative Social Research, World Regional Geography, Global Change

Areas of expertise

Resilience, adaptation, urban-rural transformation, mixed methods research, geopolitics, feminist political ecology