Joan Dudney

Joan Dudney is an Assistant Professor at the Bren School of Environmental Science & Management and the Department of Environmental Studies at the University of California, Santa Barbara. Her research focuses on global change ecology, specifically investigating how climate change impacts terrestrial ecosystems, including forests and their responses to disturbances like disease, beetles, and fire. She co-leads the Landscapes of Change (LOC) Lab and emphasizes integrating diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice (DEIJ) into academic and research practices.

Education: Ph.D. from UC Berkeley, B.A. from Occidental College, followed by Peace Corps service in Paraguay where she learned Spanish and Guarani. Postdoctoral work includes a David H. Smith Fellowship at UC Davis and a National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis (NCEAS) fellowship.

Research interests include predicting ecosystem transformations under climate change, causal inference methodologies for ecological attribution, and adaptive capacity in restoration. She has contributed to studies on threshold dynamics, biodiversity frameworks, and climate-driven ecological shifts. Her work bridges theoretical and applied ecology, often employing interdisciplinary approaches.

Notable scientific recognition: ESA ECS Outstanding Paper Award. She teaches ENV S 193GC on global environmental change impacts on terrestrial systems. Current research themes emphasize actionable science for conservation and resilience in rapidly changing environments.