The Center for the Analysis of Social-Ecological Landscapes (CASEL) at Indiana University Bloomington is an interdisciplinary research hub dedicated to examining the dynamic relationships among people, environments, and the landscapes they collectively shape. Bringing together faculty, graduate students, research associates, and collaborators from a range of disciplines, CASEL Lab fosters innovative research on human–environment interactions at local, regional, and global scales. CASEL Lab works in partnership with the College of Arts and Sciences, the Department of Anthropology, and the Department of Geography to support interdisciplinary research, teaching, and collaboration across the university.
At CASEL Lab, landscapes are understood broadly as social, ecological, cultural, and political spaces. This perspective enables researchers to bridge the social and environmental sciences while investigating how environmental change, resource management, livelihoods, governance, and policy intersect across diverse places and historical contexts.
CASEL Lab also serves as a collaborative learning environment that supports student training and professional development. The lab provides opportunities for students to engage in interdisciplinary research projects, develop hands-on experience in spatial and environmental analysis, and collaborate closely with faculty and peers within a supportive research community. Students have access to shared laboratory facilities, GIS and spatial analysis resources, and mentorship that fosters both technical expertise and independent research development.
Through research collaborations, workshops, and training initiatives, CASEL Lab connects students and scholars with partners across Indiana University and beyond. By integrating diverse disciplinary perspectives with advanced analytical approaches, CASEL Lab advances research that contributes to more sustainable and equitable environmental futures.
Banner image (above): Collage image of CASEL Lab activities: Upper middle is a group photo; lower left and top right are CASEL Lab and interdisciplinary Forum; and top left/right are fieldwork photos provided by CASEL Lab graudate students. | Photos courtesy of Eduardo Brondízio, Adriana Abreu, and Nikolina Zenović
