Noah Silber-Coats

Noah Silber-Coats is a Ph.D. student in the School of Geography and Development. His research and communication interests are centered on natural resource conflicts, broadly conceived. His recently completed M.A. thesis focused on the politics of hydropower development in Veracruz, Mexico. This project bridged analysis of the changing political economy of electricity in Mexico as the focus shifts to the private sector, with an examination of conflicts between communities, companies, activists, NGOs, and state functionaries in a case study of one river basin. His current research focus builds on this work to examine the changing energy landscapes of Mexico in the context of further liberalization, plans for massive expansion of infrastructure, and efforts to shift to renewables. Noah earned his B.A. in anthropology from Macalester College in 2007. Prior to returning to graduate school he worked with a conservation organization in Washington state and with a community development organization in Peru.

Publications: 
     Seeking a Home in Nogales: Why Can't the Residents of Nogales, Mexico, Access Adequate Housing?
     By Emma Lawlor and Noah Silber-Coats
     (July 6, 2017)

     A Life of Science: Hydropolitics in the Sierra Madre Oriental
     By Noah Silber-Coats
     (September 25, 2016)

Accepted Scholar: 

Accepted