Approaches and Methods to Integrate Diverse Socio-Environmental Data

Dr. Margaret A. Palmer is Director of SESYNC and a Distinguished University Professor at the University of Maryland, College Park. With a background in hydrology and ecology, Margaret contributes to testing and extending fundamental theory and empirical findings on aquatic ecosystem dynamics. She has worked extensively on the relationship between biodiversity and ecosystem processes, the biogeochemistry of streams and wetlands, and organism dispersal in aquatic ecosystems. She is an international expert on the restoration of streams and rivers and co-author of the book Foundations of...

Dr. Bonnie Keeler is an assistant professor in the Science, Technology, and Environmental Policy (STEP) area at the Humphrey School of Public Affairs at the University of Minnesota. Bonnie's team partners with state and federal agencies, environmental and community-based organizations, and other stakeholders to co-develop solutions to environmental management and policy challenges. Bonnie's background is in sustainability science and environmental economics, particularly around the valuation of clean water. Her current projects include estimating the return on investment in public...

Dr. Cynthia Wei was the Associate Director of Education at SESYNC from 2016 to 2018 and previously the Assistant Director of Education and Outreach from 2012 to 2016. In this role, she led and managed educational programs including the SESYNC undergraduate research internship and the postdoctoral fellowship program (co-led), as well as initiatives to broaden participation with underrepresented minorities. She also created and taught an annual short course to advance the teaching of socio-environmental synthesis using the case study approach; this effort resulted in education-focused SESYNC...

Dr. Heather Randell is a sociologist and demographer with interests in environmental change, sustainable development, and human health and well-being. Heather is currently an Assistant Professor of Rural Sociology and Demography at Penn State University, and prior to joining Penn State, she completed postdoctoral fellowships at SESYNC and the Maryland Institute for Applied Environmental Health at the University of Maryland. Heather uses quantitative and qualitative methods to understand the health and social impacts of climate change, as well as the linkages between hydropower development...

Dr. David Gill joined the faculty of Duke University in 2018. His research centers on coupled human-natural marine systems, focusing predominantly on marine management and tropical coral reef systems. Overall, his research aims to provide evidence-based insights into how marine management and conservation can lead to equitable and sustainable outcomes. This work is both interdisciplinary and collaborative by nature, drawing on key theories and analytical approaches from disciplines such as economics, community ecology, and political science, and it involves working alongside researchers and...