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If you are a student interested in working with Department of Human Ecology faculty, we do not have a graduate program in our department at this time, but many Human Ecology (HE) faculty are affiliated with graduate programs you can apply to. If you are accepted to a graduate program that HE faculty are affiliated with – you can then work with and be advised by Human Ecology faculty in your program of study. To do this, contact the HE faculty you are interested in working with to discuss what graduate program is the best fit for you and then apply. The Department of Human Ecology has a small number of competitively funded teaching assistantships for students working with faculty along with occasional grant-funded research assistantships.
Please see below for faculty research interests and departmental graduate affiliations:
Current Faculty
- Cara L. Cuite, Ph.D.
- Title: Associate Professor / Extension Specialist; Associate Director of Community and Student Engagement, NJ Institute for Food, Nutrition, and Health
- Graduate Program Affiliations: Department of Nutritional Sciences, School of Environmental and Biological Sciences; Public Policy and Planning, Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy; Higher Education, Graduate School of Education
- Research Interests: Community food security; basic needs insecurities in higher education; public perceptions of foodborne illness and other food-related issues; risk communication.
- William K. Hallman, Ph.D.
- Title: Distinguished Professor
- Graduate Program Affiliations: Nutritional Sciences, School of Environmental and Biological Sciences; Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy
- Research Interests: Risk perception and risk communication; public policy related to food safety; food security; public perceptions of controversial issues concerning food, technology, health, and the environment.
- Kasia Klasa, Ph.D., MPH, RN
- Title: Assistant Professor
- Graduate Program Affiliations: Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy
- Research Interests: Crisis governance; disaster politics; resilience; public health policy; risk governance; public health emergencies; emergency management; compound disasters and polycrisis; sustainability governance; federalism; state and local politics and policy.
- Pamela McElwee, Ph.D.
- Title: Professor; Associate Director for Human Dimensions of Climate Mitigation, Adaptation and Resilience, Rutgers Climate and Energy Institute
- Graduate Program Affiliations: Department of Anthropology, School of Arts and Sciences; Department of Geography, School of Arts and Sciences; Department of Women’s and Gender Studies, School of Arts and Sciences; Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy.
- Research Interests: Climate change; biodiversity; ecosystem services; Asia; science-policy assessments; environmental governance.
- Victoria Ramenzoni, Ph.D.
- Title: Associate Professor
- Graduate Program Affiliations: Department of Anthropology, School of Arts and Sciences; Department of Geography, School of Arts and Sciences; Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy; Department of Ecology and Evolution, School of Environmental and Biological Sciences
- Research Interests: Human behavioral ecology; coastal communities; marine and coastal policies.
- Ethan D. Schoolman, Ph.D.
- Title: Associate Professor
- Graduate Program Affiliations: Department of Sociology, School of Arts and Sciences; Geography, School of Arts and Sciences; Nutritional Sciences, School of Environmental and Biological Sciences; Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy.
- Research Interests: Local and regional food systems; environmental justice and food sovereignty; ethical consumption; social movements; interdisciplinarity; sustainability in higher education.
- Rachael Shwom, Ph.D.
- Title: Professor; Chair; Director of Human Dimensions of Environmental Change Graduate Certificate
- Graduate Program Affiliations: Department of Sociology, School of Arts and Sciences; Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy.
- Research Interests: Energy system transformations; sustainability governance; governance of mitigation and adaptation; organizational and business responses to climate change; public opinion.