Graduate Degree Programs
Environmental Policy

How our society can best meet the growing challenges of environmental stewardship through mandated and voluntary public participation in decision making is the central question. This concern is increasingly important to many segments of modern society, and we intend that students acquiring knowledge in this study area will be prepared to contribute positively to these processes in career pursuits.

The focus of this study area is on developing new understanding of environmental decision making, against the backdrop of environmental policy making and program implementation. Particular attention is given to (a) the variety of organizations involved, which generally are the institutions and agencies of government, citizen-based non-governmental organizations and the business or industrial sector; (b) the availability and utility of environmental information for these groups; and (c) the participation and integration of all informed stakeholders into environmental decision making. This tripartite scheme of organizations, information and participation frames student programs of study and suggests important directions for student and faculty research efforts.

The study area advances understanding of these questions of participatory democracy for environmental decision making through research and instruction and is particularly suited to inquisitive students with degrees in environmental studies, political science, geography, engineering and other fields that provide interdisciplinary backgrounds in natural and social science.

Environmental Policy Faculty

Name and Interests	Address / Email
Cousins, Joshua environmental policy and governance, social and political dimensions of water, political ecology, political economy of water, green infrastructure, science and technology studies, political ecology, urban sustainability	221 Baker Laboratory jcousins@esf.edu
Dann, Shari L. Environmental education and interpretation; Place Based Education; conservation and natural resource education; science learning for K-12, non-formal, and adult programs; education for participatory natural resource stewardship and civic engagement; community engagement for conservation and land/watershed stewardship	215 Baker Laboratory sldann@esf.edu
Hirsch, Paul D. integrative thinking and problem-solving, water planning, biodiversity conservation, science-policy interface, environmental thought and ethics, policy analysis, public participation and decision-making, environmental valuation, complexity, participant-observation and survey methods, discourse analysis, environmental policy, climate governance, policy science divide	214 Baker Laboratory pahirsch@esf.edu
Limpert, Christina M. Assistant Professor, PhD, Cultural Foundations of Education, Syracuse University Gender, schooling, and popular culture, urban community engagement and advocacy, youth climate activism, ethnographic and participatory action research, environmental cinema studies, environmental dimensions of violence and militarization, social media and public perceptions of environmental threats and ecosystem health.	213 Baker Laboratory cmlimper@esf.edu
Luzadis, Valerie A. ecological economics, ecosystem services, policy, social and recreational dimensions, forest management for renewable energy, watershed management, natural resources policy and values, sustainable development, renewable energy, participatory decision-making	217 Baker Laboratory vluzadis@esf.edu
Moran, Sharon D. environmental policy, human dimensions of water/wastewater issues, political ecology, environment-society relations, green and innovative technologies, environmental issues in post-communist countries, qualitative research methods, gender and nature, sustainability indicators, emergent technologies, environmental justice, ethical frameworks in public policy	224 Baker Laboratory smoran@esf.edu
Feldpausch-Parker, Andrea M. environmental communication; science and technology communication; wildlife conservation and policy; climate change mitigation and adaptation discourse and decision-making; environmental advocacy; environmental and natural resources conflict management; qualitative and critical methods; program evaluation methods; conflict; public participation; energy;wildlife management	216 Baker Laboratory amparker@esf.edu
Selfa, Theresa Environmental Governance; Politics of Agri-Food and Energy Systems; Livelihood Impacts of Land Use Change; International Development and Social Change; Environmental Certification and Labelling; Latin America and US	212 Baker Laboratory tselfa@esf.edu
Sonnenfeld, David A. environmental sociology; comparative environmental politics; sustainable transitions; water governance; East and Southeast Asia, Middle East, Latin America and Caribbean; field, historical and mixed research methods	214 Baker Laboratory dsonn@esf.edu
Weiss, Jill Socio-ecological systems, co-adaptive management, collaboration and trust, knowledge transfer, communities of practice and social networks, communication theories, landscape ecology, recreation governance and ethics, environmental education, conservation behaviors and psychologies, organizational management, strategic planning, and assessment. Subjects: stewardship, large contiguous bioregions, alpine zone, trail systems, public open space, bikes, urban forestry. Methods: Surveys, interviews, mixed method approaches, case studies, grounded theory, participatory action research.	224 Baker Laboratory jiweiss@esf.edu