
Field of Study:
Environmental Policy
Home Institution in the U.S.:
Cornell University, Ithaca, NY
Host Institution in Nepal:
Tribhuvan University, Kirtipur
Start Month/Year in Nepal:
July 2024
Duration of Grant:
Ten months
Elizabeth Taber
Elizabeth Taber graduated from Cornell University with a bachelor’s in policy analysis and management. During her time at the university, she minored in demography, law and society, and inequality studies, as well as developed her passion for research as a lab assistant. She also explored the fields of environmental policy and rural development through her work at Cornell’s Waste Management Institute and through a thesis on the applicability of compost law across New York. She has worked in policy development in New York State through government, nonprofit, and lobbying activities. Her love for Nepal began during her stint with the Cornell University Sustainable Development team which focused on school design in the Terai (lowland) and it grew while she was in Nepal as part of a study abroad program researching agricultural policy interventions.
Elizabeth’s Fulbright project is documenting existing waste management practices, challenges, and priorities in Nepal’s small cities. The research is relying on site observations as well as citizen and governmental interviews to build an understanding of the most pressing needs unique to the municipal policy environment. The study is also addressing the issue of lack of research on waste management in small cities and is attempting to provide insights into possible actionable improvements.