an associate professor of Geography at Idaho State University, will carry out research this fall at The University of New Mexico as part of the Center for Regional Studies (CRS) Scholar-in-Residence initiative.
Youngs will conduct research that will coincide with the goals of CRS as she continues writing her book, "Framing the View: The Making of an American Icon at the Grand Canyon." She is working on a chapter that examines the social and cultural ideas of the nature woven into the Grand Canyon and how Spanish and Native American peoples were disenfranchised from the park creation, management, and tourist experience in the 19th and 20th centuries.
The CRS Scholar-in-Residence Program will enable Youngs to review correspondence, journals, maps and other documents related to the Spanish experience at and near the Grand Canyon by utilizing resources at UNM; especially, the Center for Southwest Research and Special Collections, the Spanish Colonial Research Center, the Indigenous Nations Library Program, and the Maps and Geographic Information Center. The residency at UNM will also place her close to places relevant to her research, including the US National Park Service regional headquarters; trails that connect historic Southwest trade, travel, and cultural pathways across the region; and Grand Canyon National Park.
UNM's network of scholars and research groups will benefit Youngs, as well. She will be affiliated with the Department of Geography and Environmental Sciences and have opportunities to share her research with students and faculty in the department. She will also present a public lecture towards the conclusion of her residency.
CRS Director Gabriel Meléndez noted that Youngs' work aligns with the CRS mission to promote knowledge about New Mexico and the Southwest through research, education, learning and related scholarly activities.
Youngs received her Ph.D. in Geography from Arizona State University.
