Aaron is a PhD candidate in the Department of Geography at the University of Florida where he researches collaborative governance of natural resources and community conservation in southern Africa. Most of his work focuses on the social and institutional correlates of community participation in CBNRM governance. He also contributes to training, capacity building, and assessment projects in community conservation programs across southern and east Africa with Brian Child. He has conducted field survey trainings in Namibia and South Africa, supported data gathering efforts in Mozambique and Kenya, and developed two online courses for community conservation practitioners. His other theoretical interests center on rural institutional development, the economics of wildlife, and social-ecological systems.