Liz Shanahan

Dr. Liz Shanahan is a Professor in the Department of Political Science at the University of Montana and serves as the Associate Vice President of Research Development in the Office of Research & Economic Development. Her roles combine academic leadership with interdisciplinary research in policy processes and analysis.

Education:

• B.A., Dartmouth College, 1986
• M.S., Idaho State University, 1994
• M.P.A., Idaho State University, 2004
• D.A., Idaho State University, 2005

Research Interests: Shanahan’s work focuses on the power of policy narratives in shaping governmental and individual decisions. She employs the Narrative Policy Framework to study risk communication in contexts like flood hazards, pandemic responses, and human-wildlife conflict. Her research bridges human systems and ecological systems, emphasizing coupled natural and human systems, social ecological systems, and opinion surveys. She explores how narratives influence policy realities, particularly in environmental and public health domains.

Grants and Funding: She leads multiple National Science Foundation (NSF) grants including:

• "The Impacts of Narrative-Based Risk Communication on Hazard Preparedness"
• "CNH-L (44%): Dynamics of zoonotic systems: human-bat-pathogen interactions"
• "Risk Narratives Across Time and Space in Urban-Wildlife Conflict"

Scientific Awards:

• Meritorious Research and Creativity Award (2018) from the MSU College of Letters and Science

Service and Engagement: Shanahan is actively involved in academic service, including roles as:

• Board of Advisors (2019–Present)
• APSA STEP Editorial Review Board Member (2019–Present)
• Policy Studies Journal Reviewer (2017–Present)
• NSF Reviewer (2011–Present)

She has also served as a guest speaker at Dartmouth College Alumni Association (2020), Institute on Ecosystems (2016–2017), and North Carolina State University (2015).

Labs and Teams: Her research integrates cross-disciplinary teams through the Office of Research & Economic Development, focusing on topics like zoonotic systems and urban-wildlife conflict. She collaborates with institutions such as the Institute on Ecosystems and leverages computational tools for narrative analysis.