Dr. Joseph (Joe) Campbell is a Senior Lecturer at The Ohio State University’s School of Environment and Natural Resources (SENR) and the former Director of the Environmental Professionals Network (EPN), a role he held from 2017 to 2025.
Dr. Campbell’s interdisciplinary research, teaching, and professional activities center on harmonizing community development with natural resource management. Beyond supporting the EPN, he participates in community development initiatives throughout Ohio aimed at improving environmental quality, agriculture, forestry, and the stewardship of local ecosystems and cultural resources.
Within Ohio and across the United States, Dr. Campbell has conducted research for several federal agencies, such as the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Surface Mining, AmeriCorps*VISTA, Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland, and the Natural Resource Conservation Service. His collaborative efforts also extend to civil society organizations including OSU Extension, American Society of Agronomy, Conservation Legacy, the Kettering Foundation, and the Ohio Fire Executive Program. He has led applied, multidisciplinary teams investigating the effects of development and regional planning in numerous rural communities across the U.S. Midwest, Appalachia, Rockies, as well as internationally in Australia, Ghana, and Tanzania—in communities with substantial mining and agricultural land use.
Outside his academic responsibilities, Dr. Campbell co-founded the one.two.five Benefit Corporation with Dr. Leo Deiss to advance environmental quality, promote nature-based solutions, and enhance land-use profitability in Ohio. Their work focuses on assessing soil carbon storage possibilities and greenhouse gas emission mitigation through regenerative agriculture and land management practices. A native of central Ohio, Dr. Campbell actively volunteers with various local and regional non-profit organizations.
In 2016-2017, Dr. Campbell served as a U.S. Fulbright Scholar at the University of Dodoma, Tanzania (UDOM), where he taught both undergraduate and graduate courses in rural sociology and development. Collaborating with multidisciplinary colleagues at UDOM, he examined the sustainability of water access projects and their impact on community well-being—including health, education, social capital—and economic growth in rural settings. He has led service-learning project-based learning programs in Ghana as well as education abroad courses in Australia, Argentina and Antarctica.
To learn more about Dr. Campbell’s teaching, research, and service, please listen to these Green Champions podcast episodes recorded in Autumn 2024:
- Why Asking Yourself ‘What Can I Do?’ Is the Wrong Question
- When Life Gives You Soil, Make Carbon Credits
- Building Social Capital 101
This Chatting Green feature, published in July 2021, explores Dr. Campbell’s work directing the Environmental Professionals Network.
Learn more about Dr. Campbell’s research background and work with the EPN here.
Curriculum Vitae
Education
Ph.D. The Ohio State University, Rural Sociology, 2013
M.S. The Ohio State University, Environment and Natural Resources, 2008
B.A. University of Vermont, Environmental Studies and Sociology, 2006
Selected Publications
Ma, D., Hamilton, M., Shahin, L., Campbell, J., Contreras, S., Waugh-Quasebarth, J., Patterson, C. and Hull, N. (in press). “Interdisciplinary framework for community engagement in water systems: Investigating household water quality and water perceptions in Appalachian Ohio.” Civil Engineering and Environmental Systems.
Campbell, J., Shaul, K., Slagle K., and Sovic, D. (2024). “Sustainable community development through peer-to-peer learning in the online and in-person classroom.” International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education, 25 (8), pp. 1803-1819. hyperlink.
EPN Community Connections Blog co-publications on annual basis with SENR community (March 2020 – current). Most recent publication: “Directory of Fashion and Textile Sustainability Professionals in Central Ohio.” (October 2023). hyperlink.
Campbell, Joseph T., Lobao, Linda, and Betz, Michael (2017). “Collaborative Counties: Questioning the role of civil society.” Economic Development Quarterly, 31 (3), pp. 228-243. hyperlink
Irwin, E., Campbell, J., Wilson, R., Faggian, A., R., Moore, R., and N. Irwin (2016). “Human Adaptations in Food, Energy and Water Systems.” Journal of Environmental Studies and Sciences, Special Issue on the Food, Energy, Water Nexus, 6 (1), pp. 127-139. hyperlink
Campbell, Joseph T., Singh, Ajay, and Sharp, Jeff. (2016). “Climate Change and the Current and Future Impacts on Rural Community Agency and Institutions.” In the International Handbook of Rural Studies eds. Shucksmith, Mark and Brown, David (Routledge). (pdf copy available upon request)
Campbell, Joseph T. and Romich, Eric. (2015). “Residents’ Perceptions toward Utility Scale Wind Farm Development.” Journal of Extension, 53 (7), available December 21, 2015. hyperlink
Romich, Eric and Campbell, Joseph T. (2015) “Partnering with Private Industry – Ground Rules for Working Together.” Journal of Extension, 53 (4), Article # 4IAW2. hyperlink.
Bixler, Gregory, Campbell, Joseph, Dzwonczyk, Roger, Greene, Howard L., Merrill, John, and Kevin M. Passino. (2014). “Humanitarian Engineering at The Ohio State University: Lessons Learned in Enriching Education While Helping People.” International Journal for Service Learning in Engineering. Special Edition, Fall 2014, pp. 78-96. hyperlink.
Campbell, Joseph T. and Hogan, Chris. (2013). “Adapting to Shale-based Development through a Countywide Approach: Lessons Learned from Jefferson County, Ohio” Extension Fact Sheet. The Ohio State University. hyperlink.
Campbell, Joseph T., Koontz, Tomas M, and Bonnell, Joseph E. (2011). “Does Collaboration Promote Grassroots Behavior Change? Farmer Adoption of Best Management Practices in Two Watersheds.” Society and Natural Resources, 23 (11), pp. 1127-1141. hyperlink.
Teaching
Spring 2021 – Spring 2025
- RURLSOC 4500: Asset-Based Community Development
- ENR 3500: Community, Environment, and Development
Fall 2024
- RURLSOC 5500: Diffusion of Innovations
- ENR 3500: Community, Environment, and Development
Spring 2020
- RURLSOC 4500: Asset-Based Community Development
- ENR 3500: Community, Environment, and Development
Fall 2019 - Fall 2023
- ENR 3500: Community, Environment, and Development
Spring 2018
- ENR 5790: Sustainable and Resilient Tanzanian Community
- RURLSOC 4500: Asset-Based Community Development
Summer 2017 at the University of Dodoma’s (Tanzania) School of Social Sciences
- CSCD 126 Introduction to Social Welfare Services (co-taught with Laibor Kalanga)
- SCD 228: Introduction to Rural Sociology (co-taught with Dr. Nelson Ishengoma)
Spring 2017
- ENR 5790: Sustainable and Resilient Tanzanian Community
- ENR 3500: Community, Environment, and Development
- RURLSOC 4500: Leadership and Community Development
2016/2017 at the University of Dodoma (Tanzania) School of Social Sciences
- SY 613: Rural Sociology
- SY 315: Community Development: Theory and Practice
- SY 223: Sociology of Rural Development
Spring 2016
- ENR 3500: Community, Environment, and Development
- RURLSOC 4500: Leadership and Community Development
- ENR 5797: Study Abroad Australia: Sustaining Human Societies & the Environment
Fall 2015
- ENR 5790: Study Abroad Antarctica: Humans and the Environment
Spring 2015
- RURLSOC 4500: Leadership and Community Development
Spring 2014
- RURLSOC 4500: Leadership and Community Development
- CRPLAN 6970: International Development Studio -Ghana
