Principal Investigator
Carena van Riper, Ph.D. (she / her / hers)
Dr. van Riper is an Associate Professor in the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences at the University of Illinois. Her research focuses on advancing knowledge of human behavior related to the sustainability of social-ecological systems. She is particularly interested in studying how values change over space and time, shaping the ways in which people adapt to environmental change.
Graduate Students and Staff
Devin Goodson (he / him / his)
Devin is a Ph.D. student in the Program of Evolution, Ecology, and Conservation Biology (PEEC) at the University of Illinois (UIUC). He holds an M.S. in Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences from UIUC, and a B.S. in Zoology from The Ohio State University. Devin’s present interdisciplinary research centers on understanding how urban communities engage with birds and how birds make decisions in human-dominated landscapes. He employs a wide range of methods (e.g., surveys, field experiments, spatial analysis, focus groups) and his passion lies in empowering BIPOC residents within the conservation process and understanding human-wildlife dynamics and coexistence. Explore his work further at https://devinjgoodson.weebly.com.
Shi Xue (she / her / hers)
Shi Xue is a PhD student in the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Shi is dedicated to using transdisciplinary theories and methods to propose an adaptive framework that will advance the world’s transformation toward sustainability. To achieve this goal, her academic interests span social-ecological systems, resilience, ecosystem services, ecological economics, and land use planning. She has experience working on various sustainability issues in rural regions, national parks and urban areas. Here is a link to her website: https://jsxueshi1218.wixsite.com/shi-xue.
Eden Rozing (she / her / hers)
Eden is a Ph.D. student in the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. She is co-advised by Dr. Carena van Riper and Dr. Chloe Wardropper. She holds an M.S. in Forest Resources from the University of Arkansas at Monticello and a B.A. in Environmental Studies from Bard College at Simon’s Rock. Although her prior research explored public perceptions of hunting, her present work investigates the social aspects of freshwater ecosystem management and aquatic conservation, particularly in the context of anthropogenic climate change. Eden draws on multiple theoretical and methodological approaches to conduct her research and contribute to understandings of people’s relationships with the ecosystems that surround and support them.
Maitreyi Koduganti Venkata (she / her / hers)
Maitreyi Koduganti Venkata is a PhD student in NRES at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, working in the van Riper Research Lab. She holds a double Master’s degree in Water Management and Governance from IHE Delft Institute for Water Education (Netherlands) and in Environmental Science from Osmania University (India), as well as a Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Science from Mount Carmel College, Bengaluru. Maitreyi’s interests lie in understanding how human values, behaviors, and perceptions shape environmental decision-making, and the social and cultural factors that influence community adaptation. With over nine years of experience working across the rural–urban spectrum in Asia, Africa, the EU, and the United States, she has had the opportunity to engage with diverse approaches to water policy, sustainability, gender, wellbeing, and nature-based solutions. She hopes to build on this background to learn how people respond to environmental challenges, deepen knowledge of the values and connections between people and nature, and contribute insights that can inform more inclusive policy and governance.
Amy Exposito (she / her / hers)
Amy is an MS student in the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences (NRES) at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC). She received her BA in Economics with minors in Anthropology and German from UIUC as well. Amy is interested in how the voices of underrepresented communities can be utilized in environmental management, particularly in urban settings. Throughout her master’s program, she will be looking at risk perception and place attachment to Chicago waterways, as well as providing evidence to support policy-makers’ decisions about how to balance recreational use with water quality concerns from community members.
Allie Johnson (any pronouns)
Allie Johnson is an M.S. Student in the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. They hold a B.S. in Wildlife from Purdue University. Allie’s current research investigates the socio-ecological drivers behind recreational use patterns in degraded Chicago waterways using spatial analysis. Their research interests broadly include using transdisciplinary methods to evaluate human-environment interactions relating to natural resource issues, with a specific focus in informing management and policymaking. Ultimately, their research aims to support environmental health initiatives and increase equitable access to clean natural resources in urban settings.
Undergraduate Research Assistants
Madeline Eversmann (she/her/hers)
Madeline is an undergraduate student at the University of Illinois majoring in Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences with a concentration in Environmental Social Sciences. She is very interested in combining both the natural and social sciences to find impactful solutions to environmental issues. Madeline is currently involved in research evaluating the resilience of rural social-ecological systems to promote sustainable transformation strategies.
Adam Transue (he / him / his)
Adam is an undergraduate student at the University of Illinois majoring in Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences with a concentration in Fish, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology and a minor in Political Science. He has strong interests in human-environment interactions, ecology, and conservation. He is currently involved in research assessing the psychological drivers of recreational angling participation.
Emma Swiersz (she / her / hers)
Emma is an undergraduate student at the University of Illinois majoring in Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences with a concentration in Human Dimensions of the Environment and a minor in Spanish. She is passionate about the intersection between social sciences and environmental sciences and sustainability measures through environmental economics. Currently, Emma is involved in research analyzing the relationship between human psychology and bird populations.
Audrey Mathews (she/her/hers)
Audrey is an undergraduate student at the University of Illinois majoring in Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences with a concentration in Fish, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology. She has interests in human-wildlife interactions, population ecology, and habitat restoration. She is currently involved in research concerning patterns in human-bird interactions across scientific literature.
Evelyn Ma (she / her / hers)
Evelyn is an undergraduate student majoring in Finance and Data Science at the Gies College of Business. She is deeply passionate about the intersection of business and environmental sustainability, with a particular focus on biodiversity conservation. Her commitment to addressing environmental challenges has led her to volunteer in Costa Rica for sea turtle conservation and organize beach cleanup events to combat marine pollution’s impact on wildlife. Currently, Evelyn is a research assistant on a project exploring the relationship between human psychology and bird populations.
Lucy Dohrer (she / her / hers)
Lucy is a senior undergraduate student majoring in Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences with a concentration in Environmental Social Science and a minor in Legal Studies. She is interested in environmental education, psychology, and the ways people connect with and impact the natural world. Currently, Lucy is involved in the human-bird interactions project, where she is conducting a literature review on the social and ecological dimensions of human relationships with birds.
Previous Graduate Students and Staff
| Name | Title, Topic |
|---|---|
| Elizabeth Golebie | Post-doctoral researcher: Human dimensions of fisheries management |
| Henry Pollock | Post-doctoral researcher: Human-bird interactions |
| Riley Andrade | Post-doctoral researcher: Inclusive conservation involving communities in Alaska |
| Max Eriksson | Post-doctoral researcher: Angler preferences and behavior related to the spread of aquatic invasive species |
| North Joffe-Nelson | Ph.D. and M.S. student: Social identity, trust, and values around fisheries management |
| Suresh Sharma | Ph.D. student: Meanings and values of sustainable agriculture |
| Evan Salcido | Ph.D. student: Values and sense of place among people around protected areas in Alaska |
| Seunguk Shin | Ph.D. student: Values and pro-environmental behavior in children |
| Elizabeth Golebie | Ph.D. student: Risk perceptions and values in aquatic ecosystems |
| Nate Shipley | Ph.D. student: Emotions and pro-environmental behavior in worked landscapes |
| Clinton Lum | Ph.D. student: Values and benefits of backcountry experiences |
| Melissa Clelland | M.S. student: Personality and values of protected area residents |
| Devin Goodson | M.S. student: Inclusive conservation in Alaskan protected areas |
| North Joffe-Nelson | M.S. student: Values, trust and tradeoffs in fisheries management |
| Dana Johnson | M.S. student: Visions and preferences for conservation among protected area stakeholders. https://www.grad.ubc.ca/campus-community/meet-our-students/johnson-dana |
| Lorraine [Stamberger] Foelske | M.S. student: Community resilience in the Midwest. https://lorrainestamberger.wixsite.com/stambergersite |
| Sophia Winkler-Schor | M.S. student: Environmental values and protected areas. https://www.sophiawinklerschor.com/ |
| Katie Mimnaugh | M.S. student: The health benefits of nature through virtual reality. https://vrdevcat.com/ |
| Bradley Carr | M.S. student: Knowledge, attitudes, and social values of ecosystem services |