Lance Gunderson

Lance Gunderson is Professor in the Department of Environmental Studies at Emory University, where he served as founding chair from 1999-2005. With a background spanning botany, zoology, and environmental engineering sciences, his research examines ecosystem processes across spatial and temporal scales, and how scientific understanding influences resource policy. Gunderson co-edits Ecology and Society and holds leadership positions with the Resilience Alliance and Grand Canyon Monitoring Research Center.

His research focuses on two primary areas: the interaction of ecosystem structures across scales, and the interface between science and resource management. Gunderson has pioneered applications of panarchy theory to water governance systems, examining regime shifts in social-ecological contexts. His recent work emphasizes legal and institutional dimensions of adaptive governance in regional water systems experiencing climate change.

Gunderson's extensive publication record demonstrates consistent investigation of resilience frameworks across diverse ecosystems. Recent works explore operationalizing adaptive governance, multiscale management approaches, and resilience-based sustainable development. His scholarship integrates theoretical advances with practical applications for managing complex environmental challenges.

• Beijer Fellow, Beijer Institute for Ecological Economics
• Fellow, The Explorers Club
• Fellow, Geological Society of America