Dr. David Casagrande
about Dave
Morgan Hall 203F
Western Illinois University
1 University Circle, Macomb, IL 61455
Tel: (309) 298-1567
Fax: (309) 298-1857
My passions are studying human relationships with the natural environment, trying to find solutions to environmental problems, and helping students learn how to do the same. I also enjoy playing the piano and saxophone, and originally majored in music in college. But it is the sound of nature that sings loudest in my ears. I’ve always enjoyed the outdoors - fishing the Connecticut shoreline, hiking the mountains of New England, canoeing the bogs of Maine, and identifying birds and wild plants. In 1984 I received a bachelor degree in geography and worked for 10 years as a transportation planner and policy analyst for the state of Connecticut. For a long time, I questioned human impacts on our natural environment. In 1994 I changed careers and went to the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies for a master’s degree in ecology and policy. I eventually realized that to solve our problems we need to understand how people think about and interact with nature. I decided to study for a doctoral degree in anthropology at the University of Georgia. Twists and turns in my career have allowed me to live with cowboys in Venezuela, Mayans in Mexico, and other wonderful people, and to learn new languages like Spanish and Tzeltal Maya.
I try to live a sustainable lifestyle by not owning a car, bicycling to work every day (even during winter!) and growing as much of my own food as I can. I attend only one academic conference per year in order to limit carbon emissions. My life partner, Donna, and I are pursuing our dream of restoring natural habitat on 46 acres we purchased on the Spoon River in Bernadotte, Illinois. We're designing an energy independent home to build there within a few years. We would love to have you visit!
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Current Positions
Assistant Professor of Environmental Anthropology, Western Illinois University
Production Editor, Journal of Ecological Anthropology
Topic Editor, Encyclopedia of Earth
Associate Editor, Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine
Degrees
Ph.D., University of Georgia, Ecological Anthropology
Master of Forest Science, Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies
B.S., Geography, Southern Connecticut State University
Languages
ENGLISH - primary, SPANISH - secondary, TZELTAL (Maya) - intermediate, GERMAN - basic
"Scientists believe in proof without certainty: most people believe in certainty without proof."
Ashley Montagu