I am a Research Intern sponsored by the National Science Foundation and hosted by the USDA Forest Service International Institute of Tropical Forestry. I am conducting social science research on urban systems, resilience to extreme weather events, urban knowledge systems and governance, social networks, and environmental stewardship in San Juan, Puerto Rico. In addition to supporting the Stewardship Mapping and Assessment Project (STEW-MAP) at the IITF, I continue to support the work of major social-ecological research projects that the IITF is involved with: The San Juan Urban Long-Term Research Area (ULTRA) and the Urban Resilience to Extremes Sustainability Research Network (UREx SRN) projects.
I am a sustainability scientist with a BS in Physics, a Master of Education, and a MS in Community Resources & Development - Sustainable Communities. I am a PhD Candidate at the School of Sustainability at Arizona State University. For my dissertation, Knowledge System Innovation for Coastal Flood Resilience, I am analyzing several prominent coastal flood mapping systems being used in Southeast Florida (FEMA FIRMs, Eyes on the Rise's Sea Level Rise Toolbox, and The Southeast Florida Regional Climate Change Compact) and stress-testing them to identify how we can improve systems like these to work better for decision-makers like homeowners and local governments who are looking to build resilience to future floods.
Prior to my career as a sustainability scientist, I served eight years in the K-12 education sector as a science teacher and school district administrator. I am honored to have been named the 2010 Arizona Teacher of the Year by former Governor Jan Brewer and the Arizona Technology Council.
PhD Sustainability, Arizona State University (Anticipated 2020)
MS Community Resources & Development - Sustainable Communities, Arizona State University (2016)
MEd Secondary Science Education, The Ohio State University (2008)
BS Physics & Astronomy (minor Spanish), The Ohio State University (2007)
Urban Sustainability Governance Urban Resilience Knowledge Systems & Uncertain Knowledge Climate Change Adaptation Social-Ecological-Technical Systems
Feagan, M., Matsler, M., Meerow, S., Muñoz-Erickson, T., Hobbins, R., Gim, C., Miller, C. (2019). Redesigning knowledge systems for urban resilience. Environmental Science and Policy. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envsci.2019.07.014
Rosenzweig, B., Ruddell, B., McPhillips, L., Hobbins, R., McPhearson, T., Cheng, Z., Chang, H., Kim,Y. (2019). Developing knowledge systems for urban resilience to cloudburst rain events. Environmental Science and Policy, 99, 150-159. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envsci.2019.05.020
Miller, C.A., Miller, T.R, Muñoz-Erickson, T.A, Kennedy, E., Hinrichs, M., Gim, G., Selkirk, K., Pajouhesh, P., Hobbins, R., Feagan, M. (2017). Can cities get smarter about extreme weather? The Conversation. Retrieved from https://theconversation.com/can-cities-get-smarter-about-extreme-weather-85522
Hobbins, R. J. (2017, Summer). Disappearing dark skies. The Cactus Wrendition, 65(2), 20-21. Retrieved from http://www.maricopaaudubon.org/Wrendition Summer 2017.pdf
Hobbins, R. J. (2016). Scenario planning for sustainable dark skies: Altering mental models and environmental attitudes through scenario planning (Order No. 10241809). Available from Dissertations & Theses @ Arizona State University; ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global. (1845003668). Retrieved from http://login.ezproxy1.lib.asu.edu/login?url=http://search.proquest.com/docview/1845003668?accountid=4485
Academic Presentations
Oral Presentations:
Tandazo-Bustamante, F., Robles-Morúa A., Muñoz-Erickson, T., Hobbins, R (July, 2019). Analysis of knowledge systems to assess communication processes with extreme climate events between stakeholders of Hermosillo, presented at the Fourteenth International Conference on Interdisciplinary Social Sciences. Mexico City, Mexico, 2019.
Muñoz-Erickson, T.A. Cook, E., Feagan, M., Hobbins, R., Iwaniec, D., Miller, C., Miller, T (2018). Designing Anticipatory Knowledge for Resilient and Sustainable Urban Futures, presented at IFoU 2018: Reframing Urban Resilience Implementation: Aligning Sustainability and Resilience. Barcelona, December, 2018. Sciforum. Retrieved from https://sciforum.net/paper/view/conference/6042
Hobbins, R.J., Muñoz-Erickson, T.A., Miller, C.A.(2018, April). Producing and Communicating Coastal Flood Risk and Uncertainty in a Non-Stationary Climate: Lessons From New York City and Miami. Presented at the American Association of Geographers 2018 Annual Meeting, New Orleans, Louisiana. Retrieved from https://aag.secure-abstracts.com/AAG%20Annual%20Meeting%202018/abstracts-gallery/11709
Muñoz-Erickson, T.A., Cook, E., Hobbins, R., Johnson, M., Iwaniec, D., Campbell, L. (2018, April). Knowledge Systems for Urban Stewardship: Exploring the Role of Civic Knowledge Systems in Environmental and Sustainability Governance. Presented at the American Association of Geographers 2018 Annual Meeting, New Orleans, Louisiana. Retrieved from https://aag.secure-abstracts.com/AAG%20Annual%20Meeting%202018/abstracts-gallery/14477
Hobbins, R. (2017, November). Our Disappearing Dark Skies. Presentation at the East Valley Astronomy Club Monthly Meeting, Gilbert, Arizona.
Hobbins, R. & Miller, C.A. (2017, November). Knowledge systems for flood resilience. Presented to the Urban Resilience to Extremes Sustainability Research Network, Online webinar.
Hobbins, R. (2017, April). Sustainable astrotourism development: A social-ecological-systems perspective. Presented at the Sustainable Tourism Development: Issues, Challenges, and Debates Annual Conference, Kathmandu, Nepal. Retrieved from http://nepalconference.com/NC017.pdf
Hobbins, R. (2017, March). FEMA flood mapping knowledge system. Presented at the Knowledge System Analysis and Application to Sustainability and Resilience Workshop, University of Puerto Rico - Río Piedras, San Juan, Puerto Rico.
Hobbins, R. (2017, March). Transforming flood risk knowledge systems post-Sandy. Presented at the Knowledge System Analysis and Application to Urban Resilience and Sustainability Workshop, University of Puerto Rico - Río Piedras, San Juan, Puerto Rico.
Hobbins, R. (2016, December). Scenario planning for sustainable dark skies. Presented at the International Dark Sky Association Annual General Meeting: Harnessing the Power of the Grassroots to Reduce Light Pollution and its Environmental Impacts Worldwide, Tucson, Arizona.
Hobbins, R. (2016, December). Artificial light at night and its impacts on human health and wildlife. Presentation at the Maricopa Audubon Society Monthly Meeting, Scottsdale, Arizona.
Azzi, M., Campbell, B., Hobbins, R., Roberg, K., & Nyaupane, G.P. (2016, June). Understanding stargazers’ motivations using the travel career pattern approach. Presented at the LARASA World Leisure Congress, Durban, South Africa.
Nyaupane, G.P., Hobbins, R., & Campbell, B. (2016, June). Understanding environmental behavior based on participation in leisure activities. Presented at the LARASA World Leisure Congress, Durban, South Africa.
Ozis, F., & Hobbins, R. (2014, July). Shaping students’ attitudes toward STEM and STEM careers with extracurricular STEM clubs. Presented at the Leading Change Conference, Arizona Department of Education, Tucson, AZ.
Hobbins, R., & Doppmann, G.W. (2012, January) Benchmarking the evolutionary stages of young stellar objects. Presented at the Murdock Trust Annual Research Conference, San Diego, CA.
Poster Presentations:
Hobbins, R., Muñoz-Erickson, T.A, Feagan, M. Chester, M., Cook, E., Gaiser, E., Grimm, N., Iwaniec, D., Méndez-Lazaro, P., McPhearson, T., Miller, C., Sauter, D., Troxler, T., Welty, C. (2018, November). Climate risk visualizations: Tools, users and uses. Institute for Social Science Research Poster Competition, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ.
Tandazo-Bustamante, F., Robles-Morúa A., Muñoz-Erickson, T., Hobbins, R. (2018, November). Análisis de sistemas de conocimiento para evaluar procesos de comunicación entre autoridades de Hermosillo ante eventos climáticos extremos [Knowledge systems analysis to evaluate the communication processes between actors in Hermosillo combating extreme weather events]. 6th International Symposium of Environmental Biotechnology and Engineering. Cuidad Obregón, Sonora, Mexico.
Hobbins, R., Muñoz-Erickson, T.A, Feagan, M. Chester, M., Cook, E., Gaiser, E., Grimm, N., Iwaniec, D., Méndez-Lazaro, P., McPhearson, T., Miller, C., Sauter, D., Troxler, T., Welty, C. (2018, July). Climate risk visualizations: Tools, users and uses. National Center for Atmospheric Research BRIGHTE GIS Hurricane Storm Surge and Sea Level Rise Visualization Workshop, Boulder, Colorado.
Hobbins, R., Feagan, M., Muñoz-Erickson, T.A., Miller, C.A. (2018, March). Anticipating coastal flood risk in a non-stationary climate: A critical analysis of flood risk knowledge systems in Miami. Urban Resilience to Extremes Sustainability Research Network All Hands Meeting Poster Session, Phoenix, Arizona.
Feagan, M., Hobbins, R., Muñoz-Erickson, T.A., Grimm, N., Chester, M., Cook, E., ... Welty, C. (2018, March). Empowering Communities to Build Sustainable and Equitable Urban Futures through Smart Visualizations and Knowledge Systems. Urban Resilience to Extremes Sustainability Research Network All Hands Meeting Poster Session, Phoenix, Arizona.
Hobbins, R., Muñoz-Erickson, T., Charli-Joseph, L., Cook, E., Eakin, H., Iwaniec, D., … Feagan, M. (2017, March). Problematizing inclusivity within and across the sustainability research network. Poster presented at the Urban Resilience to Extremes Sustainability Research Network Annual All-Hands Meeting, The New School, New York City, New York.
Selkirk, K., Gim, C., Friedman, E., Pajouhesh, P., Hobbins, R., Kennedy, E., … Muñoz -Erickson, T. (2017, March). Knowledge systems: Analysis and innovation for urban resilience. Poster presented at the Urban Resilience to Extremes Sustainability Research Network Annual All-Hands Meeting, The New School, New York City, New York.
Davidson, M., Kim, Y., Berbes, M., Cook, E., Hobbins, R., Iwaniec, D., & Muñoz -Erickson, T. (2017, March). Assessment of SETS strategies for shaping cities’ resilience scenarios. Poster presented at the Urban Resilience to Extremes Sustainability Research Network Annual All-Hands Meeting, The New School, New York City, New York.
Hobbins, R., & Nyaupane, G.P. (2016, December). Scenario planning for sustainable dark skies: Altering mental models and environmental attitudes through scenario planning. Poster presented at the Institute for Social Science Research Poster Competition, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ.
Dzyuban, Y., Guardaro, M., Hobbins, R., Jones, J.L., & Stein, Z. (2016, December). Healthy fire station complex. Poster presented at the Institute for Social Science Research Poster Competition, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ.
Hobbins, R., & Doppmann, G.W. (2011, January) Benchmarking the Evolutionary Stages of Young Stellar Objects. Poster presented at the Murdock Trust Annual Research Conference, San Diego, CA.