Policy and Sustainability | Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources Skip to main menu Skip to spotlight region Skip to secondary region Skip to UGA region Skip to Tertiary region Skip to Quaternary region Skip to unit footer Slideshow Policy and Sustainability Our research in environmental policy and sustainability aims to understand the social and political dimensions of sustainable resource management. Faculty research includes: Communities, policy, and government Sustainability and smart-growth policies Energy production from renewable resources Forest economics and tax policies Endangered species and policies Graduate Degrees in Policy and Sustainability Delve into law and policy issues that affect our natural world. Our students may take classes that cover a range of issues—ecotourism, sustainable development, renewable resources, endangered species and institutional effects on the environment. This coursework translates into careers centered on NGOs, policy development and compliance work. Our graduates work for nonprofits, policymakers and state agencies, as well as for international organizations. Employment of specialists in this area is expected to grow in the coming decade, and this degree is an excellent way to combine analytical thinking with research, computer skills, communication and a passion for natural resources. CURRICULUM Policy and Sustainability can be pursued as an official area of emphasis through the MS program. QUESTIONS? For general questions about pursuing a graduate degree at Warnell, contact a member of the graduate team: Dr. Kyle Maurice Woosnam , Graduate Coordinator Office: 1-301A Email: woosnam@uga.edu Kate deDufour , Graduate Program Administrator Office: 1-217 Prospective students should also contact faculty members for questions specific to this disciplinary area. Please check faculty members’ personal pages for information about their individual research interests and projects to ensure that you are contacting the most relevant ones. Related Articles Game on: Sanford Stadium becomes a field for soil science Monday, September 1, 2025 - 12:00pm Sanford Stadium’s usual game plan features football and fans—but this spring, the field played host to a different kind of ‘down and dirty’ competition: soil science. Reaching New Heights Thursday, September 26, 2024 - 12:30pm Towering above the plains of Tanzania stands one of the Seven Summits of the World: Mount Kilimanjaro (19,340 feet). Mountaineers from around the world visit annually to explore the region and summit the highest-free standing mountain above sea level. A walk through land use, policy and forests Friday, August 18, 2023 - 11:00am Degree program's new area of emphasis offers a path combining government and the outdoors Who decides the future of a forest? Helping land help you: The role carbon plays in ecosystem services Wednesday, August 16, 2023 - 3:20pm Note: This story is part of a special issue of The Warnell Log focused on carbon. There’s a good chance you’ve been to the head of the Flint River and didn’t know it. Blown away by changes: Hurricanes that hit the South can have an effect on carbon Wednesday, August 16, 2023 - 3:16pm Note: This story is part of a special issue of The Warnell Log focused on carbon. The aftermath of a hurricane includes downed trees, damaged saplings, salt water intrusion—and a lot less carbon. Personnel Dr. Jesse Abrams Associate Professor, Natural Resource Policy and Sustainability, Director of Graduate Studies, Integrative Conservation (ICON) Ph.D. Program My work on natural resource governance and policy spans diverse forest and rangeland environments from the United States to Argentina, focusing on the participation of local communities and local- to regional-scale organizations in environmental governance, policy implementation, and… Dr. Jeff Hepinstall-Cymerman Professor, Landscape Ecology I am a landscape ecologist and am interested in studying patterns across landscapes. I apply spatial data and modeling techniques to ecological and social systems to measure patterns and processes and to explore the interactions between coupled natural and human systems. I explore landscape… Dr. Elizabeth G. King Associate Professor, Ecosystem Ecology & Management Community and ecosystem ecology, restoration ecology, dryland vegetation dynamics, social-ecological systems, pastoralism in Africa, Georgia coastal salt marshes, resilience, sustainability science Dr. Yanshu Li Associate Professor, Forest Economics & Taxation Outreach Specialist Federal and state forest taxation, economic issues related to forest investment and management, forest products market analysis, economic benefits of forest. Dr. Jacek Siry Stuckey Professor of Forest Economics and Taxation Timber market modeling, international forestry and conservation, forest management efficiency, multiple-use natural resource management. Dr. Michael Tarrant Director, Discover Abroad, Josiah Meigs Distinguished Teaching Professor, Human Dimensions Global education (student learning outcomes) and international protected area management Support Warnell We appreciate your financial support. Your gift is important to us and helps support critical opportunities for students and faculty alike, including lectures, travel support, and any number of educational events that augment the classroom experience. Learn more about giving Every dollar given has a direct impact upon our students and faculty. Get in touch Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources University of Georgia 180 E Green Street Athens, GA 30602-2152 Phone: 706-542-2686 Fax: 706-542-8356 Login for Faculty and Staff Submit a Student Complaint