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).
• "Feeding 10 Billion: A Dialogue Between Feed the Future and the International Research Community," (2011) Report for the US Agency for International Development (USAID), US Department of Agriculture (USDA), and the Association of Public and Landgrant Universities (APLU).
• (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 July 23, 2009.  
• "Genetically Modified Organisms and Global Hunger: A Real Solution?" (2008) Sustainable Development Law and Policy vol. 9(1), pp. 57-61, 77. Available at:
• "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