Gwen Iacona

Gwen Iacona is a Research Assistant Professor at Arizona State University (ASU) in the School of Life Sciences. She also serves as Assistant Director at the Center for Biodiversity Outcomes, focusing on bridging scientific evidence with conservation decision-making. Her teaching includes undergraduate research and honors thesis supervision in biology (BIO 492, BIO 493, BIO 495).

Her research emphasizes strategic conservation approaches, including data-driven decision frameworks for endangered species protection, pesticide risk mitigation, and cost-effective resource allocation. She explores partnerships in land management, climate adaptation planning, and preemptive conservation under legal frameworks like the U.S. Endangered Species Act.

Her work highlights innovative solutions to biodiversity challenges, such as integrating mindfulness-based strategies and leveraging high-resolution data to enhance conservation outcomes. She has contributed to projects like the CIVIC-PG Track A initiative in Florida State Parks and investment strategies for agricultural biodiversity preservation.

While no awards are listed, her research demonstrates significant engagement with interdisciplinary methods, including social science models for private land conservation and adaptive decision-making under climate change.