Environmental Social Sciences

In the field of Environmental Social Sciences (ESS), students learn about the complex relationship between people and the environment through an understanding of issues related to climate change, global food and water distribution, natural resource management, and conservation decision-making.  Faculty members approach environmental problems from various disciplinary perspectives, including but not limited to public policy, psychology, sociology, political science, and law.
 
Through research experience, students enrolled in the ESS graduate specialization will study how people value and use the environment and natural resources, which will equip students with the skills and knowledge to inform policies that address these issues. The Environmental and Social Sustainability Lab provides regular interaction between all social science faculty and graduate students in the School of Environment and Natural Resources (SENR).
 


Active Graduate Advisors:


Kerry Ard
Ramiro Berardo
Jeremy Brooks
Jeremy Bruskotter
Alia Dietsch
Matthew Hamilton
Shoshanah Inwood
Douglas Jackson-Smith
Jeffrey Jacquet
Kristi Lekies
Linda Lobao
Sayeed Mehmood
Cathy Rakowski
Jeff Sharp
Nicole Sintov
Eric Toman
Robyn Wilson


Recent Theses and Dissertations (available on OhioLink*)

I. Adams MS Pride, Guilt, and Pro-Environmental Behavior: The Role of Experienced Self-Conscious Emotions in an Individual’s Response to Carbon Footprint Feedback
K. Allen MS Wildlife Value Orientations in Context: Using Experimental Design to Explain Acceptability of Lethal Removal and Risk Perceptions toward Wildlife
L. Bates PhD Environmental Deficit Phenomenon: The Effect of Recess on Attention and Emotion Regulation and Implications for the Connectedness of People and the Natural World

N. Braun

PhD

Investigating Environmentally Responsible Behavior: A Phenomenological Study of Personal Behavior of Acknowledged Leaders in the Area of Climate Change
J. Brensinger MS Measuring Connection to Nature and Exploring Connections to Childhood Activities, Environmental Concern, and Behavior

E. Burnett

MS

The Influence of Farmer Stress and Hardiness on the Adoption of Best Management Practices in the Maumee Watershed
K. Claborn MS Measuring the Environmental Efficiency of Well-Being in Columbus, Ohio
F. DePrator MS Innovation Among Nutrient Service Providers in the Midwest
M. De Nardo MS Exploring Salient Attributes and Status Perception of Proenvironmental Behavior
E. Eilers MS Exploring the Association between Norm Conflict and Environmental Behavior

J. Ferry

MS

Phosphorus Management in the Agroecosystem: An Analysis of Knowledge and Perceived Risk

S. Fontanella

MS

Indexing Geographic Information Using the Domain Name System
E. Grover MS Investigating the Influence of Zoo Exhibit Design on Visitor Empathy for Wildlife
D. Gupta PhD
 
C. Hartel MS The Role of Wildlife Value Orientations in Framing Interactions with Wildlife Near the Home: A Mixed-methods Analysis of Self-reported Problems with Wildlife
A. Heeren PhD
 
F. Holm MS Early Involvement and Multi-stage Coalitions in Environmental Rulemaking – A Stakeholder Analysis of the Clean Power Plan
K. Horndeski MS
 
E. Hutchins MS
 
P. Mudliar PhD
 

M. G. Myer

MS

Characterizing the Decision Process of Land Managers when Managing for Endangered Species of Fire Dependent Ecosystems: The Case of the Kirtland’s warbler (Septophaga kirtlandii Baird)

J. Perez Saez

MS

Recruiting the Water Quality Trader: Do Socioeconomic Variables and Levels of Trust Matter?

T. Ritter

MS

Exploring the Relationship between Risk Perception and Farmer Nutrient Management Decisions
K. Rose MS The Influence of Communication for Perceptions of Smoke Emissions and Prescribed Fires in Fire Dependent Areas

T. Shaul

MS

Implementation of Best Management Practices of Collaboratively Developed Watershed Action Plans in the Maumee River Watershed

J. Sherry

MS

Informing Fire and Fuels Management Decisions in the Mixed-Pine Ecosystems of the Northern Lake States
A. Singh PhD

D. Singh

MS

Exploring the Factors that Characterize the Decision Process for the Use of Prescribed Fire in South Carolina

K. Slagle

PhD

Social and Psychological Drivers of Public Involvement in Large Carnivore Management
H. Szarek MS
E. Walpole PhD Communicating Climate Adaptation: A Mechanistic and Audience-Based Investigation of Message Framing Approaches for Climate-Exacerbated Hazards
H. Walpole PhD Re-Perceiving Perceived Risk: Examining the Psychological Structure of Risk Perception
H. Walpole MS Why Stay? Why Go? An Examination of Attitudes Towards Risk in Wildfire Evacuation Decision Making
S. Weiss MS Social and Ecological Aspects of Managing Wildlife in Fire-dependent Forested Ecosystems
B. Wickizer MS

Y. Xing**
PhD Local Environment Attachment and the Possibility of Using Citizen Science Approaches to Measure Firefly Populations in Time and Place

S. Young

MS

Farmer Decision Making and Likelihood to Participate in the Conservation Reserve Program

S. Zwickle

MS

Weeds and Organic Weed Management: Investigating Farmer Decisions with a Mental Models Approach

*OhioLink articles available to OSU students, faculty, and staff
**Student advised by SENR faculty in other OSU graduate programs