Georgia Peterson, PhD
4 April 2023 | https://msu.zoom.us/j/94233130411
Using Community Science Principles to Boost Research and Application Capacity
Invasive pests and diseases. Point and nonpoint source pollution. Rare species. Climate change. A wide array of researchers and professionals occupy these fields, dedicating significant time and finances to try and de- fend and conserve our natural resources for long-term sustainability. Despite their efforts, these threats are vast and complex, often exceeding professionals' capacity to effectively address them. Researchers and prac- titioners are taking a growing interest in adopting citizen—or community—science projects to improve the effectiveness of their work. Citizen/community science can hold many meanings, but is most generally rec- ognized as engaging people who are not formally trained in a scientific field to generate, and sometimes interpret, scientific data to address a particular issue. This seminar will describe the basics behind the effec- tive use of community science, and provide concrete examples of effective community science programs in Michigan. Participants will gain basic insights on how their research may benefit from engaging non- practitioners in their work.
Georgia Peterson has served as a Natural Resource Extension Specialist at MSU for the past 23 years. She specializes in sharing research-based information about forests and forestry with landowners and other Michigan citizenry. She also provides assistance to natural resource professionals on public input pro- cesses, conflict management and strategic planning activities. In her spare time, Georgia enjoys motorcycling, running, camping and international travel. Dr. Peterson has BS in Forestry from Purdue University, MS in Forestry Recreation & Tourism from Purdue University, and PhD in Social Sciences in Forestry from MSU.
BAE is honored to host the following presenters for our Spring 2023 seminar series. The series aims to represent the diverse and interdisciplinary interests of the department.
Seminars are approximately 45 min with 15 min Q&A.
