Jennifer Raynor

Jennifer Raynor is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Forest and Wildlife Ecology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She holds affiliations with the Environmental Markets Lab (emLab) at UC Santa Barbara and serves as Chair of the Science Advisory Board at Global Fishing Watch. Her research focuses on environmental and resource economics, applying econometrics and machine learning to natural resource management challenges.

Education includes a Ph.D. in Agricultural and Applied Economics from UW-Madison (2017), an M.S. in Environment & Resources (2016), and prior degrees from Johns Hopkins and LeMoyne College. Her career includes roles at NOAA Fisheries and the Bureau of Labor Statistics, alongside teaching roles at UW-Madison and Wesleyan University.

Research interests emphasize marine protected areas (MPAs), satellite tracking of industrial activity at sea, and predator conservation economics. Notable work includes quantifying spillover benefits of MPAs and demonstrating wolves’ role in reducing roadway accidents. Her articles have received widespread media attention, including coverage by National Geographic, The Economist, and BBC.

• Awards: Think Tank Fellowship (2021-22), Lone Mountain Fellowship (2021), Wall Street Journal Student Achievement Award (2005)
• Grants: USDA Hatch Grant ($122,433), NOAA internal grant ($60,000)
• Labs/Teams: Global Fishing Watch, Environmental Markets Lab (emLab)