Colorado State University Environmental Professor Named to Prestigious Aldo Leopold Group

As an Aldo Leopold Leadership Fellow, Kathleen Galvin, an associate professor in the Department of Anthropology will attend the summer program designed teach top scientists to effectively communicate complex scientific research.

The Aldo Leopold Leadership Program, which began in 1998, is operated by Oregon State University on behalf of the Ecological Society of America. Scientists are trained to work with the private sector, news media, policy makers and non-governmental organizations concerning critical environmental issues.

Expertise among participants runs the gamut from ecology and evolution to genetics, oceanography, fisheries, molecular biology, geography, engineering, economics, political science and many other fields.

Galvin, an anthropologist, has been conducting human ecological research in Africa for the past 15 years. Her expertise includes African livestock agricultural land use, human adaptation, health, nutrition and strategies for coping with climate variability.

Galvin’s current research explores the effects of drought on land use in southern Africa. She is conducting similar research in the U.S. Great Plains.

"There are many issues with my research in Africa that affect not only policy makers in African countries but organizations and the public in the United States as well, especially those people and groups interested in wildlife conservation and human welfare" said Galvin. "I want to learn how to convey my findings, which have direct policy and management implications, in a relevant and understandable way. This training affords scientists one of the best outlets of learning how to communicate complex information in ways that are useful to the public and people who make environmental decisions."

Along with her selection for the highly competitive Aldo Leopold Leadership Program, Galvin has served on the National Academy of Science/National Research Council and is a member of the National Science Foundation’s Cultural Anthropology Program review panel.

Other academic experts who will participate in this year’s training are from institutions including California Institute of Technology, University of California at Berkeley, University of Maryland, University of Michigan, Rutgers University and University of Washington.

For more information about the Aldo Leopold Leadership Program, contact Judith Vergun at (541) 737-4684.