Assistant Professor, Human Dimensions of Natural Resources, Colorado State University
Rebecca “Becky” Niemiec is an Assistant Professor in the Human Dimensions of Natural Resources Department at Colorado State University. She has a PhD from the Emmett Interdisciplinary Program in Environment and Resources, Department of Earth, Energy, and Environmental Sciences, Stanford University. Her research focuses on understanding and promoting community engagement in conservation efforts, particularly on private lands. Her dissertation work examined how to motivate landowner collective action to control invasive species across property boundaries in Hawaii and New Zealand. Becky applies mixed methods, including surveys, interviews, spatial analysis, and field experiments, to examine the factors driving community conservation action and the impact of community actions on conservation outcomes. Becky is passionate about working collaboratively with conservation practitioners in both her research and teaching; she has taught community-engaged learning courses on topics ranging from open space management to conservation psychology.