Roberta Nilson

I am a conservation social scientist focused on social dimensions of rural environmental change. I have an interdisciplinary education background with a B.S. in Environmental Science from Washington State University and Master of Public Policy from Oregon State University. I also served as an environmental education volunteer with the Peace Corps in rural Nicaragua from 2012-2014. My approach to research is place and problem-based: I apply my experience in rural community development and public policy to engage research questions informed by the needs of local people. This approach goes hand in hand with my commitment to use research to advance equity and social justice. I am driven by my belief that community-engaged research can help develop fair and inclusive processes to resolve conflicts associated with natural resource management and conservation.

My dissertation examines issues of rural justice in New York’s renewable energy transition – specifically focused on issues surrounding the siting of large, utility-scale solar facilities. In Spring of 2021, I was also the primary instructor for NTRES 2201: Natural Resources and Society.

Advisor: Richard Stedman