Robert C. Burns

Dr. Robert C. Burns is a Professor of Natural Resources at West Virginia University's School of Natural Resources. An interdisciplinary social scientist and former military officer, he emphasizes utilitarian approaches to land/water use and champions the Land Grant mission for sustainable resource management. He holds a Ph.D. from Penn State University (2000) and previously served as an assistant professor at the University of Florida.

His research focuses on data-driven decision-making for public lands, with interests spanning:

• Visitor behavior in marine sanctuaries and forests
• Economic and social dimensions of land/water use
• Coral reef conservation and biomass energy perceptions
• Cross-cultural recreation studies

Recent publications (2021-2023) predominantly analyze visitor economics, environmental psychology in protected areas, and pandemic impacts on nature-based recreation, using methodologies like meta-analysis and crowdsourced data collection.

Awards and honors include:

• 2022 Fulbright Scholar (Austria)
• Fellow, The Academy of Leisure Sciences (2022)
• Society of American Foresters Award in Forest Science (2019)

He has secured over $10M in research funding as PI (NOAA, NSF, USDA) and co-edited Outdoor Recreation Planning (2016). His internship program involved 200+ students in U.S. National Forests. He serves on the National Association of University Forest Resource Programs board and represents the U.S. at the International Union of Forest Research Organizations.