A young scholar from Mandinary Village in The Gambia is carving an unusual path through environmental science and criminal justice, arguing that science alone cannot solve pollution and illegal dumping.
Adama M. Touray, a doctoral researcher at the University of New Haven in the United States, is studying environmental criminology and crime mapping. His work examines how human behavior, weak laws, and uneven enforcement drive damage to land, water, and wildlife. He currently works with Professors Maria Tcherni-Buzzeo and Michelle Fabiani. Two of his research articles are under review.
Touray’s training began at the University of The Gambia, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in environmental science. He later completed a master’s in environmental engineering at Sapienza University of Rome, focusing on climate change adaptation and mitigation, then a second master’s in environmental science at New Haven, with a concentration in ecology.
Scholarships supported each stage, including Italy’s Lazio Disco award and several fellowships at New Haven: a Provost Assistantship, a CAS Dean Fellow Award, a CJST PhD Fellowship, and a Deeprimex Fellow Award. He added certifications in GIS, remote sensing, hydraulic risk, health and safety, leadership, and environmental management.
Fieldwork has taken him from classrooms to riversides. He has worked with Kanifing Municipal Council and the Department of Parks and Wildlife Management in The Gambia, the International Center for Research in Agroforestry in Kenya, the West African Birds Study Association, Marymount International School in Italy, Connecticut’s Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, and the Southwest Conservation District. In Connecticut, he helped collect water-quality samples across municipalities and saw firsthand how teamwork and evidence shape environmental decisions.
He has also taught introductory biology and environmental courses at New Haven under Professor Michael J. Sellers and presented at more than 26 conferences in Europe and the United States. He belongs to the Ecological Society of America and the American Society of Criminology.
Touray says years in the field showed him that many environmental wounds are also crimes: illegal dumping, pollution violations, and failures of accountability. That insight led him into criminal justice. He hopes to remain at New Haven as a postdoctoral researcher or assistant professor and to work with bodies such as UNODC, Interpol, UNEP, and conservation agencies.
From a village student to a researcher spanning Africa, Europe, and the United States, Touray’s career is still unfolding. He argues that protecting the environment now requires both ecological knowledge and a clearer map of who breaks the rules—and how to enforce them.
