The Research

A summer spent in Sicily observing Mount Etna was the catalyst for Justin Falcone’s interest in how environmental forces impact the variable most associated with sustainable development. An archaeology major with a minor in global environmental change and sustainability, Falcone sailed from Tahiti to Hawaii to document the ways environmental change is impacting the island communities most at risk by rising sea levels. His photographs, which reflect the current implications of climate change in the South Pacific, will be displayed at the Milton S. Eisenhower Library next year.

In His Own Words 

“Living in the shadow of three active volcanoes (Kīlauea, Etna, and Vesuvius), working in tropical rainforests off-the-grid, and entering communities where I could initially converse only with a smile were not just steps toward publishing my research. They were experiential lessons that taught me the value of international study.”

Adviser: Michael Harrower, Assistant Professor, Near Eastern Studies