Dr. Joseph (Joe) Campbell is a Senior Lecturer in The Ohio State University’s School of Environment and Natural Resources (SENR) and the outgoing Director of the Environmental Professionals Network (EPN), having served as the EPN Director from 2017 to 2025.
His interdisciplinary research, teaching and professional focus is on the balance between community development and natural resource management. In addition to supporting the EPN network, Dr. Campbell is involved in community development projects across Ohio designed to enhance environmental quality, agriculture, forestry and how residents improve their ecosystems and cultural resources. He served as a 2016-2017 U.S. Fulbright Scholar at the University of Dodoma, Tanzania (UDOM) where he taught undergraduate and graduate-level courses in rural sociology and development. He worked with multidisciplinary colleagues at UDOM to investigate the sustainability of water access project installations and effects on community well-being (health, education, social capital) and economic development in rural Tanzania.
In Ohio and across the United States, he has conducted research on behalf of multiple federal agencies, including the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Environmental Protection Agency, the Office of Surface Mining, AmeriCorps*VISTA, the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland, and the Natural Resource Conservation Service, as well as civil society groups including OSU Extension, American Society of Agronomy, Conservation Legacy, the Kettering Foundation, and the Ohio Fire Executive program. He’s led applied, multidisciplinary research teams on studies of the impacts of development and regional planning in dozens of rural communities in the U.S. Midwest, Appalachia, and Rockies, as well as Australia, Ghana, and Tanzania that have significant land use dedicated towards mining and/or agriculture.
Outside of his university time, Dr. Campbell co-founded the one.two.five Benefit Corporation with Dr. Leo Deiss to enhance environmental quality, foster nature-based solutions, and improve land-use profitability in Ohio. They focus on evaluating the potential for soil carbon storage and greenhouse gas emission mitigation through regenerative farming and land management practices. He is from the central Ohio community and volunteers with several local and regional non-profit organizations.
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.
Listen to the 2024 Green Champions podcast with Dr. Joseph Campbell on Why Asking Yourself “What Can I Do?” Is the Wrong Question
Visit Ohio State Environmental Professionals Network YouTube homepage
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
