Dr. Zhao Ma
Professor
I am a Professor of Natural Resource Social Science. As a natural resource social scientist, the overarching goal of my research is to contribute to knowledge that improves individual and organizational capacity to make natural resource decisions to adapt to social-ecological change at various scales. Specifically, my research lies at the intersection of political ecology and social psychology, and examines natural resource decision making processes of two types of actors, individuals and organizations. I ask questions about (1) how individuals and organizations perceive social-ecological changes and the associated natural resource challenges at various scales, (2) how individuals and organizations respond to social-ecological changes and address the associated natural resource challenges, (3) how various ecological, climatic, social, economic, political, and cultural factors influence decision making by individuals and within organizations, and (4) what intended and unintended impacts may result from individual and organizational natural resource decisions. Broadly speaking, my research provides insights into what information, assistance, and incentives may be helpful for promoting sustainable natural resource decisions by individuals, and how individual attitudes and behaviors across the landscape and over time cumulatively affect the effectiveness of various natural resource policies and programs.
I have been at Purdue since 2013, and was previously on faculty at Utah State University. I was a post-doctoral fellow in the Family Forest Research Center at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. I obtained my Ph.D. in Natural Resource Science and Management from the University of Minnesota, M.A. in Sustainable International Development from Brandeis University, and BS in Material Physics from the University of Science and Technology Beijing. I feel very lucky to have had the opportunities to work with so many great scholars, students and practitioners, who have greatly shaped my thinking about the social-ecological world we all live in and my pursuit of natural resource social science research.
Erica Kronenberger
Research Coordinator
Erica is the Research Coordinator for the Human Dimensions Lab. Her current research projects focus on collective action for invasive species management in California and public perspectives of forest management in Indiana, both of which explore trust ecology theory, among other concepts. In addition, Erica leads Digital Forestry Extension efforts for the PERSEUS project and manages daily operations for the lab.
Education:
M.S. in Geography and Environmental Sustainability, University of Oklahoma (2024)
B.A. in Environmental Sustainability, University of Oklahoma (2021)
Katy Dix
Graduate Student
Katy Dix is a Purdue Doctoral Fellow pursuing a Ph.D. in Natural Resource Social Science. She is Guatemalan-American and works with rural communities in Latin America on social-environmental initiatives geared at fostering well-being and protecting the people and places they call home.
Project Description: Katy studies collaborative wildfire management in the Indigenous Territory of Monteverde in Bolivia. She partners with community members and leaders, NGOs, local government officials to assess best practices for building bridges between different knowledge systems and promoting effective collaboration between Indigenous and external entities on integrated wildfire and watershed management. Her work draws inspiration from the fields of environmental justice, anticolonial studies, political ecology, and critical and post- development studies.
Education:
M.A. in Sustainable International Development, Brandeis University (2021)
B.A. in Political Science and Environmental Studies, Williams College (2018)
Nathan Shoaf
Graduate Student
Nathan is pursuing a PhD in Natural Resource Social Science. He is also part of the Interdisciplinary Ecological Sciences & Engineering (
Education:
- M.S. in Ecological Science and Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN
- B.S. in English Literature, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN
Chamali Rodrigo
Graduate Student
Chamali is a doctoral student pursuing a PhD in Natural Resource Social Science. Chamali’s dissertation research focuses on understanding how family forest landowners can be engaged to adopt digital forestry tools. Her research is part of the PERSEUS project: Promoting Economic Resilience and Sustainability of the Eastern U.S. Forests, and her research outcomes will be used to engage stakeholders to develop management practices that can improve the sustainability of forest ecosystems in the eastern U.S.
Education:
- M.S. in Natural Resource Ecology and Management at Oklahoma State University (2024)
- B.S. in Environmental Management and Forestry at University of Sri Jayewardenepura, Sri Lanka (2021)
Katherine O. Pivaral Toledo
Graduate Student
Katherine is a Ross Fellow PhD student in the FNR/ESE Graduate Program at Purdue University. Originally from Guatemala, she brings extensive research and professional experience from Latin America, the United States, and Italy, contributing to initiatives in climate-smart agriculture, youth empowerment, regenerative tourism, and markets for diversified agriculture. She collaborates with local communities, NGOs, and diverse stakeholders to co-create participatory strategies that promote environmental restoration, cultural heritage preservation, and economic resilience. Her international perspective and collaborative approach make her a dynamic leader in environmental sustainability and community-based resource management.
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MSc in Horticulture and Landscape Architecture with a Graduate Certificate in Environmental Policy, Purdue University (2024)
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B.S. in Environmental and Development Engineering, Pan-American Agricultural School Zamorano, Honduras (2019)
