Carolyn Finney is Assistant Professor in the Department of Geography at University of Kentucky. Her research explores how issues of difference impact participation in decision-making processes designed to address environmental issues. She first conducted research in Nepal, speaking with women about their experiences collecting fuel wood, fodder, and water, and the challenges of balancing traditional gender roles with immediate economic needs. In her first book, she explores the role of memory and identity in influencing African American environmental participation, and the general disconnect between African American environmental professionals and their white counterparts regarding the perception of exclusion and racism within an environmental context. Black Faces, White Spaces was published in May 2014 by UNC Press.