Research Interests

Professor Nicholson's research and teaching focus on the politics of food and agriculture, global environmental and energy politics, and issues to do with emerging technologies.

Selected Publications

• "Environmentalism: Cars, Farming, and Resource Insecurity," in Jennifer Sterling-Folker (ed.), Making Sense of IR Theory (2nd ed.) (Lynne Rienner, forthcoming).
• (with Daniel Chong) "Jumping on the Human Rights Bandwagon: How Rights-based Linkages can Refocus Climate Politics," (2011) Global Environmental Politics vol. 11, no.3, pp. 121-136.
• Review essay, "Understanding and Governing the Global Food System," (2011) Global Environmental Politics vol. 11, no. 2, pp. 120-125.
• "Intelligent Design? Unpacking Geoengineering's Hidden Sacrifices," in Michael Maniates and John Meyer (eds.) The Environmental Politics of Sacrifice (MIT Press, 2010.)
• "A Sea Change in Food Aid?" (2009) Foreign Policy (Online Edition) July 23, 2009. Available at: www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2009/07/23/a_sea_change_in_food_aid
• "Genetically Modified Organisms and Global Hunger: A Real Solution?" (2008) Sustainable Development Law and Policy vol. 9(1), pp. 57-61, 77. Available at: www.wcl.american.edu/org/sustainabledevelopment/documents/08fall.pdf
• (with Borut Grgic and Pablo Reyes) "Energy Risk Index: Central and Eastern Europe,"(2005) report for Onamics LLC (Washington DC) / Institute for Strategic Studies-Ljubljana. Available at: www.onamics.com/downloads/OnamicsESI05.pdf
• "Toward a Pluralist Conception of Human Rights," (2002) Swords and Ploughshares vol. 11, pp. 79-89.
• "Water Scarcity, Conflict, and International Water Law: An Examination of the Regime established by the UN Convention on International Watercourses," (2001) New Zealand Journal of Environmental Law vol. 5, pp. 91-125.

Professional Presentations

• "Overview of the Feed the Future Research Strategy," at the Feed the Future Research Forum, Washington DC, 21-23 June 2011.
• Roundtable: "Eating Green: A Conversation about Food, Consumption and Sustainability," at the Andrew Wolf Memorial Conference, Washington DC, 22 April 2011.
• Panel Chair: "Sustainability at the Right Scale?" for American University Earth Week, Washington DC, 21 April 2011.
• (with Daniel Chong) "Jumping on the Human Rights Bandwagon: How Rights based Linkages Are Reshaping Climate Politics," at the Annual Meeting of the International Studies Association, Montreal, Canada, 16-19 March, 2011.
• Roundtable Chair: "The Long Transition: A Moderated Conversation on Pathways to a Sustainable World," at the Annual Meeting of the International Studies Association, Montreal, Canada, 16-19 March, 2011.
• Roundtable: "Bringing Media Projects into a Non-Media Course," at the annual Ann Ferren Teaching Conference, American University, Washington DC, 7 January 2011.
• "Intelligent Design? Unpacking Geoengineering's Hidden Sacrifices," launch for the volume The Environmental Politics of Sacrifice, American University, Washington DC, 1 October 2010.
• Organizer and moderator, "The Art of Problem-Driven Theorizing: Writing Dissertations that Engage with the World," Workshop for Ph.D. students from across the United States, American University, Washington DC, 1 October 2010.

Honors, Awards, and Fellowships

• Fulbright Award

Grants and Sponsored Research

• Workshop Grant, Academic Council on the United Nations System
• Workshop Grant, Oikos Foundation