Jennifer Russell

Jennifer Russell is an Associate Professor at the Department of Sustainable Biomaterials, College of Natural Resources and Environment, Virginia Tech. With a Ph.D. in Sustainable Systems from Rochester Institute of Technology (2018) and an MBA from the University of Toronto (2010), she specializes in circular economy systems, material flows, and sustainability strategy.

• Education: Ph.D. (Rochester Institute of Technology, 2018), MBA (University of Toronto, 2010), B.ES (University of Waterloo).

Her research focuses on integrating circular systems into sustainable biomaterials, covering packaging, the built environment, and practices like remanufacturing, repair, and recycling. Recent publications explore blockchain in circular food supply chains, repair policy frameworks, and regenerative material cycling in forestry.

Her scientific awards include the 2022 Virginia Tech Excellence in Teaching Award, 2018 Industry Studies Association Dissertation Award Finalist, and multiple honors from Rochester Institute of Technology. She has secured grants from NSF, NIST, and Swedish Research Council FORMAS for projects on circular economy analytics, polyurethane foam circularity, and repair society development.

She co-authored the UNEP International Resource Panel report Re-defining Value – The Manufacturing Revolution and teaches courses like SBIO 1444 – Introduction to Circular Economy and SBIO 2504 – Circular Economy Analytics. Her work emphasizes market transformation strategies, social psychology of sustainable consumption, and applied systems perspectives for solving environmental challenges.