Jennifer Costanza

Jennifer Costanza serves as an Unpaid Adjunct Research Scholar in the Department of Forestry and Environmental Resources at North Carolina State University, collaborating with the USDA Forest Service's Forest Economics and Policy Research Work Unit on national-scale resource modeling initiatives.

Her research specializes in forecasting forest dynamics under climate change, land use shifts, and management interventions using spatially-explicit modeling frameworks. Key interests include landscape connectivity for wildlife conservation in the southeastern U.S., climate adaptation strategies for coastal ecosystems, and assessing biomass production impacts on habitats and biodiversity. Her work directly informs national resource assessments and federal conservation planning.

Dr. Costanza has secured over $1.5 million in research funding through eight major grants including multiple phases of the USDA Forest Service's "Modeling Forest Resource Dynamics" project (Phases VI, X, XI, XII) and USGS-funded initiatives on coastal resilience and habitat connectivity. Her collaborative approach engages federal agencies to address critical challenges in sustainable forest management under global environmental change.

No scientific awards were documented in available materials. While student mentorship details are not specified, her research integrates interdisciplinary teams and stakeholder input to translate scientific findings into actionable conservation strategies.