Hilary Hungerford is an associate professor of Earth Science at Utah Valley University, a dual-mission institution with both community college and university components. She received her Ph.D. in Geography with an emphasis in African Studies and worked closely with the African Studies Center during her graduate studies at the University of Kansas. She was awarded a Fulbright-Hays dissertation fellowship for her work in Niger on urban water issues. Before graduate school, she served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in rural Bénin (2002-2004). During her time as an undergraduate, she spent a year at the University of Ghana, Legon through ISEP (International Student Exchange Programs). Her research has focused mostly on water, flooding, and environmental issues in Niamey and Dakar, and has been published in the African Geographical Review, Habitat International, and the Journal of Historical Geography. She has also co-led study abroad programs to Dakar and worked closely with WARC in the development and operations of those programs. She has also taken undergraduate students to West Africa to work with her on research. She and her students worked on flooding issues in Dakar, and are now planning research on forest conservation in Bénin. At her current institution, she is part of the African Diaspora Initiative, which is aimed at supporting African and diaspora students and also bringing more African-related focus to curriculum efforts across campus.