Pamela Chasek

Professor, Political Science

I am a professor who focuses on international relations and environmental politics in the Political Science Department at Manhattan College. I also advise the Manhattan College Model United Nations team and have taken students to New York City, Washington, DC, the Galapagos Islands, the Czech Republic and Germany to participate in UN simulations.

In addition to teaching at Manhattan College, I am also the co-founder and executive editor of the Earth Negotiations Bulletin, a reporting service on United Nations environment and development negotiations. I juggle my time between the United Nations and its many environmental negotiations, writing and teaching.

I am married to Langston James "Kimo" Goree and have two sons, Sam and Kai. 

In my spare time, I love exploring and photography. Give me an excuse to travel and explore and I'll take it.

Education

Ph.D. International Relations, Johns Hopkins University

M.A. International Relations, Johns Hopkins University

B.A. Political Science, Middlebury College

Courses Taught

POSC 223      Environmental Politics
POSC 251      Global Issues
POSC 343      Middle East Politics
POSC 352      International Organizations
POSC 357      US Foreign Policy
POSC 367      Model United Nations
POSC 368      Model United Nations II
POSC 420      Senior Seminar: Conflict Resolution
POSC 494      American University Washington Semester Program

  • Research

    International environmental policy, international organizations, multilateral diplomacy, bargaining and negotiation and US foreign policy. Regional areas of specialization include the Middle East, Africa and Latin America.

  • Publications and Scholarly Activities

    Selected Books: 

    Global Environmental Politics, eighth edition. New York: Routledge, 2021.  

    Transforming Multilateral Diplomacy: The Inside Story of the Sustainable Development Goals. New York: Routledge, 2018

    The Roads from Rio: Lessons Learned from Twenty Years of Multilateral Environmental Negotiations (co-edited with Lynn Wagner). New York: Resources for the Future Press/Routledge, 2012.

    Ten Days in Johannesburg: A Negotiation of Hope.Cape Town: Struik Publishers, 2004 (withRichard Sherman).

    Earth Negotiations: Analyzing thirty years of environmental diplomacy.Tokyo: UNU Press, 2001.

    The Global Environment in the 21st Century: Prospects for International Cooperation (editor),Tokyo: UNU Press, 2000.

    Selected Articles and Monographs:

    “Is It the End of the COP as We Know It? An Analysis of the First Year of Virtual Meetings in the UN Environment and Sustainable Development Arena,” International Negotiation (published online ahead of print 2021). doi: https://doi.org/10.1163/15718069-bja10047

    “Land degradation neutrality: The science-policy interface from the UNCCD to National Implementation” Environmental Science & Policy Volume 92, February 2019, Pages 182-190 DOI link: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envsci.2018.11.017 (with Mariam Akhtar-Schuster, Barron Joseph Orr, Anna Luise, Harifidy Rakoto Ratsimba, and Uriel Safriel)

    “Land in balance: The scientific conceptual framework for Land Degradation Neutrality,” Environmental Science and Policy, Volume 79 (2018): 25–35. (with Annette L. Cowie, Barron J. Orr, Victor M. Castillo Sanchez, Neville D. Crossman, Alexander Erlewein, Geertrui Louwagie, Martine Maron, Graciela I. Metternicht, Sara Minelli, Anna E. Tengberg, Sven Walter, and Shelley Welton)

     “Breaking the Mold: A New Type of Multilateral Sustainable Development Negotiation,” International Environmental Agreements: Politics, Law and Economics 16(3): 397-413.  (with Lynn Wagner). DOI 10.1007/s10784-016-9320-2

     “Getting to 2030: Negotiating the Post-2015 Sustainable Development Agenda,” Review of European, Comparative & International Environmental Law 26(1) 2016, 5-14 (with Lynn Wagner, et al.) DOI: 10.1111/reel.12149

    “Confronting Environmental Treaty Implementation Challenges in the Pacific Islands.” Pacific Islands Policy 6. Honolulu: East-West Center, 2010.

    “Six Ways to Make Climate Change More Effective” Policy Brief, Fixing Climate Governance Series No. 3. June 2015 (with Lynn Wagner and I. William Zartman). Available online https://www.cigionline.org/sites/default/files/fixing_climate_governance...

     “Operationalizing Zero Net Land Degradation: The next stage in international efforts to combat desertification?” Journal of Arid Environments. 2014 (with Uriel Safriel, Sem Shikongo, and Vivian Futran). Available online 18 June 2014, ISSN 0140-1963, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jaridenv.2014.05.020.

     “Green Pluralism: Lessons for Improved Environmental Governance in the 21st Century,” Environment 55(5). 2013: 14-30 (with Norichika Kanie, Peter M. Haas, Steinar Andresen, Graeme Auld, Benjamin Cashore, Jose A. Puppim de Oliveira, Stefan Renckens, Olav Schram Stokke, Casey Stevens, Stacy D. VanDeveer, and Masahiko Iguchi).

     “Follow the Money: Navigating the International Aid Maze for Dryland Development.” Journal of International Organizations Studies 4(1). 2013: 77-90.

     “Incorporating Regional Priorities into Global Conferences: A Review of the Regional Preparatory Committee Meetings for Rio+20.” Review of European Community and International Environmental Law 21(1). 2012: 4-11.

     “Rethinking the Law and Policy of Protected Areas in a Warming World: Evolving Approaches of American Conservation Organizations.” Journal of International Wildlife Law and Policy 15(1) 2012: 41-59

     “Integrated Land Degradation Monitoring and Assessment: Horizontal Knowledge Management at the National and International Levels.” Land Degradation and Development 22(2) 2011: 272-284 (with Wafa Essahili, Mariam Akhtar-Schuster, Lindsay C. Stringer and Richard Thomas).

     “Improving the Enabling Environment to Combat Land Degradation: Institutional, Financial, Legal and Science-Policy Challenges and Solutions.” Land Degradation and Development 22(2) 2011: 299-312 (with Mariam Akhtar-Schuster, Mary Seely, Lindsay C. Stringer and Richard Thomas).

     “Creating Space for Consensus: High-Level Globe Trotting into the Bali Climate Change Conference.” International Negotiation 16(1) 2011: 87–108.

     “U.S. Policy in the UN Environmental Arena: Powerful Laggard or Constructive Leader.” International Environmental Agreements: Politics, Law and Economics 7(4). 2007: 363-387.

     “Margins of Power: Coalition Building and Coalition Maintenance of the South Pacific Island States and the Alliance of Small Island States.” Review of European Community and International Environmental Law 14(2). 2005: 125-137.

     “Power Politics, Diplomacy and Role Playing: Simulating the UN Security Council’s Response to Terrorism.” International Studies Perspectives 2005(1): 1-19.

    “NGOs and State Capacity in International Environmental Negotiations: The Experience of the Earth Negotiations Bulletin.” Review of European Community and International Environmental Law 10(2). 2001.

     “A Comparative Analysis of Multilateral Environmental Negotiations.” Group Decision and Negotiation, 6(5) September 1997.

     “The Convention to Combat Desertification: Lessons Learned for Sustainable Development.” Journal of Environment and Development, 6(2) June 1997.

    Recent Book Chapters:

    “Sustainable Development,” in in Michael Snarr and D. Neil Snarr, eds. Introducing Global Issues, sixth edition. Boulder: Lynne Rienner, 2016.

    “Negotiating Coalitions” in Jean-Frédéric Morin and Amandine Orsini, eds. Essential Concepts of Global Environmental Governance. New York: Routledge, 2015.

    “Lessons Learned in Multilateral Environmental Negotiations,” in Norichika Kanie, Steinar Andresen, Peter M. Haas, eds. Improving Global Environmental Governance: Best Practices for Architecture and Agency. New York: Routledge, 2013.

    “Putting The Practical Negotiator to the test: two examinations of the formula-details proposition” in Terrence Lyons and Gilbert M. Khadiagala, eds. Conflict Management and African Politics: Ripeness, bargaining and mediation.London: Routledge, 2008 (with Lynn Wagner).

    “International Climate Change Politics: Looking Beyond 2012” in Jonathan Boston, ed. Towards a New Global Climate Treaty: Looking Beyond 2012. Wellington,New Zealand:Institute ofPolicy Studies, 2007.

     

  • Honors, Awards, and Grants

    2022: Distinguished Scholar Award, Environmental Studies Section of the International Studies Association

    2015: Sigma Iota Rho Outstanding Faculty Advisor Award

    2009:  Washington Semester Program Special Recognition Award 

    2007: Fulbright Senior Scholar Award for research at Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand.