معرفی
Jessica Leahy is a Professor of Human Dimensions of Natural Resources at the University of Maine’s School of Forest Resources within the College of Natural Sciences, Forestry and Agriculture. Her work bridges environmental sciences, social psychology, and communication to study human-forest relationships through populations like outdoor recreationists, forest landowners, and natural resource managers. She divides her time between teaching (25%), research (25%), and administrative duties (50%) at the Maine Agricultural and Forest Experiment Station.
- Ph.D., University of Minnesota (2005)
- M.S., Oregon State University (2001)
- B.S., Oregon State University (1999)
Leahy’s research focuses on social capital and trust in public involvement, forest landowner decision-making, and the influence of media campaigns on environmental behavior. Her recent projects address wildfire risk, forest-based biorefinery acceptance, and cross-disciplinary tick-borne disease studies. Articles highlight her expertise in community-university partnerships, citizen science, and rural youth aspirations.
- 2020 G. Peirce and Florence Pitts-Webber Outstanding Forestry Teacher Award for her leadership in integrating social sciences into forestry education
As Master of Forestry program coordinator, Leahy has expanded enrollment from 3 to 16 students while advising graduate and undergraduate projects. Her work is funded by the Maine Agricultural and Forest Experiment Station, including the Forest-Dependent Rural Community Research initiative and McIntire-Stennis project ME042204.
