College of Agriculture & Natural Resources Department of Community Sustainability

Advisor: Dr. Doug Bessette

My graduate work examines broadly the question of whether large-scale solar energy developments can be fair to the communities that host them. Specifically, I am examining the role of Michigan’s recently enacted PA 233 on the community engagement activities of solar energy developers, and representations of solar energy within the rural landscape. I utilize semi-structured interviews, participant observations, and content analysis to conduct my research, and I draw heavily on social constructions of place to inform my research questions.

My research centers on studying the social aspects of large-scale solar energy development in rural communities. I previously conducted research on the social acceptance of agrivoltaics at the University of Arizona, where I earned my MA in geography, and at the University of Illinois, where I earned my BS in Agricultural & Consumer Economics.

• My recent publications include:
  • Abe Macy, Tyler Swanson, Carrie Seay-Fleming, Andrea K. Gerlak, Greg A. Barron-Gafford, Designing for dual-use solar: An examination of the agrivoltaic policy landscape in the United States, Energy Policy, Volume 205, 2025, 114682, ISSN 0301-4215, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enpol.2025.114682.
  • Carrie Seay-Fleming, Tyler Swanson, Andrea K. Gerlak, Mitchell A. Pavao-Zuckerman, Holly Andrews, Karli Moore, Greg A. Barron-Gafford, Cultivating engagement: Public participation in agrivoltaics planning and design, Energy Research & Social Science, Volume 127, 2025, 104273, ISSN 2214-6296, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.erss.2025.104273.
  • Tyler Swanson, Carrie Seay-Fleming, Andrea K. Gerlak, Greg A. Barron-Gafford, “Enough is enough, we like our farms”: The role of landscape ideology in shaping perceptions of solar energy and agrivoltaics in the rural American Southwest, Journal of Rural Studies, Volume 114, 2025, 103572, ISSN 0743-0167, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jrurstud.2025.103572.