Austin Beacham
Ph.D. Candidate, UC San Diego

Thanks for visiting my website! I am a political science Ph.D. candidate at UC San Diego, and a 2023-2024 Dissertation Fellow with the UC Institute on Global Conflict and Cooperation. 

I primarily study environmental politics and international organization. My dissertation focuses on the politics of biodiversity conservation and protected areas, with a particular interest on how domestic and international politics interplay in determining protected area policy outcomes. Other work explores how local economic shocks affect deforestation, and I have a secondary research interest in the current global trend toward democratic backsliding.

A proud Georgian, I received BAs in Applied Language and Intercultural Studies and Business Administration from the Georgia Institute of Technology in 2017. I then worked at The Coca-Cola Company for two years before turning to political science. In my free time, I enjoy playing music, skateboarding,  wildlife photography, attempting pottery, and trying to keep the dream of being a professional soccer player alive.