College of Agriculture & Natural Resources Department of Community Sustainability

Program: CSUS

Academic Focus Area: Sustainable Agriculture and Participatory Development

Hometown: Mount Prospect, IL

Advisor: John Kerr

My research focuses on understanding farmers' perspectives on sustainable agriculture technologies in southern Africa.  I have specifically focused on the adoption of minimum tillage agriculture by smallholder farmers in Zambia and Mozambique. I use a combination of qualitative and quantitative research methods. 

I worked in community development for 6 years in Malawi and Mozambique with World Renew.  I also spent significant time in Latin America with two semesters of my undergraduate studies in Costa Rica and a year in Peru as an exchange student during high school. I speak Spanish, Portuguese and Chichewa (southern Africa). 

I am looking for opportunities where I can use my experiences to facilitate undergraduate learning about sustainable development - both internationally and domestically.  I hope to work with students to carry out engaged research with communities for sustainable development.

Peer reviewed publications:

Grabowski, P., Haggblade, S. Kabwe, S. and Tembo, G. (2014). Minimum tillage adoption among commercial smallholder cotton farmers in Zambia 2002 to 2011.  Agricultural Systems. 131, 34-44. DOI: 10.1016/j.agsy.2014.08.001

Grabowski, P. and Kerr, J. (2014). Resource constraints and partial adoption of conservation agriculture by hand-hoe farmers in Mozambique. International Journal of Agricultural Sustainability 12 (1) 37-53.