PARCC Faculty Research Associates in the Area of Environmental Conflicts and Collaboration 

Paul Hirsch studies the relationship between science, values, and politics in environmental problem solving.  He is part of an international, interdisciplinary team working to understand the various tradeoffs that occur between environmental conservation and economic development, and is developing practical tools to facilitate productive dialog and decision making across disciplinary, organizational, and political boundaries.

Rosemary O’Leary is interested in why, and under what circumstances, those engaged in environmental and natural resource management choose to collaborate.  She is currently studying the collaborative efforts of the Institute for Environmental Conflict Resolution (USIECR) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and is also a member of a team that is simulating collaborative decision making to ascertain why individuals choose to collaborate.

Steven Brechin, Professor of Sociology, Maxwell School, is interested in understanding the range of organizational models that exist for the protection of natural areas and biodiversity.  In his current work, he uses the theoretical lens of the “hollow state” to explore the unique partnership between government and NGOs that has evolved in Belize to manage protected areas throughout the country, and its implications for public engagement, governance, and the goals of conservation.  Brechin also researcher how individuals and groups think about and support a variety of environmental issues including climate change.
 
Bruce Dayton focuses on the management of crises across state and national boundaries, many of which have an environmental dimension.