Richard Stedman
Professor and Chair, Natural Resources and the Environment
Richard Stedman is Professor and Chair of the Department of Natural Resources and the Environment at Cornell University, where he also is Associate Director of the Center for Conservation Social Sciences and a member of the Graduate Field of Development Sociology.
Dr Stedman earned his Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin (Sociology/Rural Sociology), his M.S. from Cornell University, and his BA from the University of Wisconsin. Prior to his arrival at Cornell University in 2007, he served as a faculty member in the Department of Agricultural Economics and Rural Sociology at The Pennsylvania State University (2002-2007), and led the Social Science Research Group for the Canadian Forest Service in Edmonton Alberta.
Stedman’s research, teaching, and outreach is rooted in social-ecological systems. An author of over 200 peer reviewed works, he is especially interested in sense of place—as the meanings and attachments that are held for particular landscapes—and the role of environmental quality in underpinning this connection. He also focuses on the well-being of resource dependent communities, especially communities in transition. Much of his recent work in this area targets issues related to energy transitions, ranging from shale gas to large scale renewable efforts, but he also has keen interests in water, wildlife, and fishery systems, domestically and internationally. When not engaged in these activities, he enjoys all manner of outdoor pursuits, especially those that put food on the table, and writing mediocre poetry.
Education
- 2000. Ph.D. University of Wisconsin-Madison. Sociology and Rural Sociology.
- 1993. M.S. Cornell University. Natural Resources.
- 1989. B.A. University of Wisconsin-Madison. Sociology, Concentration in Analysis and Research
Recent Research
My research is rooted in connection to place and to community and how these connections may be affected by rapid social and ecological change. As a sociologist who takes the natural world seriously, I believe that place matters, even in this age of extraordinary mobility. Our environmental behaviors—from stewardship, to politics, to consumer choices--are rooted in our experiences, our understandings of, and preferences for places we care about. I study a wide range of these places, at multiple scales, facing a diverse array of challenges, including wildlife conflict, invasive species, energy development, climate change, migration, and many others.
Selected Publications
- Nilson, R., and R.C. Stedman. 2023. Reacting to the rural burden: Perceived energy colonialism and opposition to utility-scale solar development. Rural Sociology 88(2):578-605.
- Naiman, S.M., R. C. Stedman, and J. P. Schuldt. 2023. Latine culture and the environment: How familism and collectivism predict environmental attitudes and behavioral intentions among U.S. Latines. Journal of Environmental Psychology 85 10192 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvp.2022.101902
- Mason, J., R.C. Stedman, and K. Kleisner. 2023. Climate resilience and risks of rigidity traps in Iceland's fisheries. Ambio https://doi.org/10.1007/s13280-023-01859-8.
- Raymond, C.R., R.C. Stedman, and N. Frantzeskaki. 2023. The role of nature-based solutions and senses of place in enabling just city transitions. Environmental Science and Policy 144:10-19.
- Armstrong, A,. R. Stedman, S. Sweet, and N. Hairston. 2022. What causes harmful algal blooms? A case study of causal attributions and conflict in a lakeshore community. Environmental Management https://doi.org/10.1007/s00267-021-01581-9
- Nilson, R., and R. Stedman. 2022. Are big solar and small solar separate things: The role of scale in public support for solar energy development in upstate New York. Energy Research & Social Science 86:102449.
- Bugden, D., and R.C. Stedman. 2021. Unfulfilled promise: Social acceptance of the smart grid. Environmental Research Letters 16(3): 034019.
- Sward, J, R.S. Nilson, V.V. Katkar, R.C. Stedman, D.L. Kay, J.E. Ifft, and K. M. Zhang. 2021. Integrating social considerations in multicriteria decision analysis for utility-scale solar photovoltaic siting. Applied Energy 288: 116543
Awards & Honors
- 2019 Rural Sociological Society Excellence in Research Award
- 2017 Atkinson Center for a Sustainable Future, Faculty in Residence Award.
- 2015 Cornell University College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Rising Star Alumni Award.
- 2014 William R. Freudenburg Research Award of Merit (Rural Sociological Society, Natural Resources Research Group)
- 2011 Cornell University David J. Allee and Paul R. Eberts Community and Economic Vitality (CEV) Award.
- 2005 Penn State University, College of Agricultural Sciences, Joan Luerssen Faculty Enhancement Award in Agricultural Sciences.
- 2004 Penn State University, College of Agricultural Sciences, Roy Buck Award, 2004. (best social science paper in the College authored by a pre-tenure faculty member).
- 2001 Rural Sociological Society Innovation Award
Courses Taught
- NTRES 2201 Society and Natural Resources
- NTRES 4320 Human Dimensions of Coupled Systems
- NTRES 6201 Community, Place, and Environment
Contact Information
Fernow Hall 111B
Ithaca, NY 14853
rcs6 [at] cornell.edu
Recent Media Engagement
Richard in the news
News
The process of combining agricultural production and solar panels on the same farmland, known as agrivoltaics, has seen a great leap in Cornell research activity.
- Cornell University Agricultural Experiment Station
- Agrivoltaics
- Energy
News
Deer hunters were more likely to be swayed by social media messages about the potential risks of chronic wasting disease if they came from a source they believed aligned with their own views and values.
- Communication
- Animals
- Natural Resources and the Environment