Richelle L. Winkler

Richelle L. Winkler is a Professor of Sociology and Demography at Michigan Technological University (MTU), specializing in rural communities, spatial inequality, and environmental sustainability. She holds a PhD from the University of Wisconsin-Madison (2010) and has expertise in GIS, community-engaged scholarship, and demographic analysis.

Her research focuses on wildfire vulnerability, post-COVID migration patterns, and age-specific migration datasets. She leads the MICARES project on renewable energy sovereignty and advises the US Census Bureau's Scientific Advisory Committee. Winkler teaches courses in environmental sociology and research methodology, and organizes a Costa Rica study program on sustainability.

Key collaborations include projects with the US Forest Service and the National Science Foundation. Her work emphasizes actionable solutions for rural community resilience, combining quantitative analysis with community-driven approaches.