University Hall
301 University Blvd.
Indianapolis, IN 46202
Biography
Ash Enrici is an assistant professor at the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy and a McKinney Family Fellow of Environmental Resilience and Philanthropy. Her current research investigates how donors contribute more equitably, effectively and justly to climate and conservation work.
She has conducted research in contexts such as Indonesia, the Pacific Islands, and the mid-Atlantic of the United States. Using a political ecology lens, her work has included topics of environmental justice, climate change adaptation and ocean conservation. She uses collaborative methods of knowledge co-production, ethnography, and Qualitative Comparative Analysis (QCA).
In her free time Ash explores the ocean as a free diver and has been a certified instructor of freediving since 2015. Originally from Chicago, she has an MA in Applied Anthropology and a PhD in Geographical Sciences, both from the University of Maryland.
Education
- PhD: Geographical Sciences December 2016 | University of Maryland, College Park, MD
- Master of Applied Arts: Anthropology May 2010| University of Maryland, College Park, MD
- B.A.: Anthropology May 2003| Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN
Publications
- Conceptualizing responsible exits in conservation philanthropy (with E Le Cornu, RL Gruby, JE Blackwatters, A Enrici, X Basurto, M Betsill)
- More than funders: The roles of philanthropic foundations in marine conservation governance (with JE Blackwatters, M Betsill, A Enrici, E Le Cornu, X Basurto, RL Gruby)
- Opening the Black Box of Conservation Philanthropy: A Co-Produced Research Agenda on Private Foundations in Marine Conservation. (with Rebecca L. Grubby, Michele Betsill, Elodie Le Cornu, Xavier Basurto and Research Co-Designers)
- Philanthropic Foundations as Agents of Environmental Governance: A Research Agenda. (with Michele M. Betsill, Elodie Le Cornu and Rebecca L. Gruby)
- Coastal Flooding and Environmental Justice: Identifying Potential Strategies for Adapting to Climate Change in Two Urban Communities in the Boston Metropolitan Area, Massachusetts. (with Ellen M. Douglas, Paul H. Kirshen, Michael Paolisso , Chris Watson , Jack Wiggin and Matthias Ruth)
- Coastal Flooding, Climate Change and Environmental Justice: Identifying Obstacles and Incentives for Adaptation in Two Metropolitan Boston Massachusetts Communities. (with Ellen M. Douglas, Paul H. Kirshen, Michael Paolisso, Chris Watson, Jack Wiggin and Matthias Ruth)
- Enrici, Ash. (2022). Patagonia’s Founder Has given His Company Away to Fight Climate Change and Advance Conservation: 5 Questions Answered. The Conversation.
- A Crisis of Confidence: Stakeholder Experiences of REDD+ in Indonesia. (with Klaus Hubacek)
- Business as Usual in Indonesia: Governance Factors Effecting the Acceleration of the Deforestation Rate after the Introduction of REDD+. (with Klaus Hubacek)
- Challenges for REDD+ in Indonesia: A Case Study of Three Project Sites. (with Klaus Hubacek)
- Social and Cultural Incentives and Obstacles to Adaptation to Increased Coastal Flooding in East Boston, MA USA. (with Paul H. Kirshen, Ellen M. Douglas and Michael Paolisso)
- Integrating Social Science into Conservation Planning. (with Rebecca Niemiec, Rebecca Gruby, Michael Ryan Quartuch, Christina T. Cavaliere, Tara Teel, Kevin Crooks, Jonathan Salerno, Jennifer N. Solomon, Kelly W. Jones, Michael Gavin, Anna Lavoie, Amanda Stronza, Leah Meth, Katie Lanter, Christine Browne, Jonathan Proctor and Michael J. Manfredo)
- Climate Change, Justice, and Adaptation among African American Communities in the Chesapeake Bay Region. (with Michael Paolisso, Ellen Douglas, Paul Kirshen, Chris Watson and Matthias Ruth)
Research Interests
Philanthropic foundations are influential sponsors of conservation networks, policy initiatives, and projects around the world. Yet there has been little research on environmental philanthropy, and even less on how shifts in funding impact communities, organizations, and conservation agendas.
Between 2018-2023, our team is leading a social science research project to develop new insights about ocean philanthropy and foundation exits. In 2018, we co-designed the project with input from more than 100 stakeholders, including grantees and non-grantees in the Pacific region, and individuals from six foundations working in marine conservation globally. Together, we identified the following research questions:
- What roles do foundations play in marine conservation?
- What are best practices for managing donor exits in marine conservation?
- What happens to philanthropic-supported marine conservation agendas after donor exits, and how can we explain differences in outcomes?
- What do stakeholders and donors perceive as the legitimate role of foundations in marine conservation?
Our goal is to assist marine conservation practitioners, donors, and other stakeholders by enhancing understanding of the factors that contribute to effective, equitable, and enduring ocean philanthropy and conservation.
Research Interests
Philanthropic foundations are influential sponsors of conservation networks, policy initiatives, and projects around the world. Yet there has been little research on environmental philanthropy, and even less on how shifts in funding impact communities, organizations, and conservation agendas.
Between 2018-2023, our team is leading a social science research project to develop new insights about ocean philanthropy and foundation exits. In 2018, we co-designed the project with input from more than 100 stakeholders, including grantees and non-grantees in the Pacific region, and individuals from six foundations working in marine conservation globally. Together, we identified the following research questions:
- What roles do foundations play in marine conservation?
- What are best practices for managing donor exits in marine conservation?
- What happens to philanthropic-supported marine conservation agendas after donor exits, and how can we explain differences in outcomes?
- What do stakeholders and donors perceive as the legitimate role of foundations in marine conservation?
Our goal is to assist marine conservation practitioners, donors, and other stakeholders by enhancing understanding of the factors that contribute to effective, equitable, and enduring ocean philanthropy and conservation.