About Tara
Dr. Tara L. Teel is a Professor in the Department of Human Dimensions of Natural Resources at Colorado State University (CSU). Her work focuses on improving conservation decision-making through understanding human thought and behavior and through building social science capacity among conservation professionals. Much of her research has been devoted to examining human-wildlife relationships in the U.S. and globally, with a particular focus on employing concepts and methodologies from social psychology to study human values toward wildlife, attitudes and behaviors toward wildlife-related issues, and the social factors underlying human-wildlife conflict. She works closely with conservation agencies and organizations in the application of social science to inform their planning, management, and communication efforts. She also served as President of the Social Science Working Group of the Society for Conservation Biology (SCB) 2009-2014. Additionally, she has organized a number of social science trainings for practitioners, including a human dimensions certification program for wildlife professionals in North America, social science short courses for SCB annual meetings, and a training program emphasizing best practices in protected area management and conservation social science for forest service officers in India. Professor Teel received her Ph.D. in Human Dimensions of Natural Resources from CSU and M.S. and B.S. degrees in Fisheries and Wildlife Management from Utah State University.
Google Scholar Profile CVInterests
- Research interests include: applications of social science theory and methods, with a focus on contributions from social psychology, to environmental conservation and management issues; human dimensions of wildlife; human-wildlife conflicts; values, attitudes, and behaviors; and communication, with an emphasis on attitude-behavior change theory in psychology.
Education
PhD, Human Dimensions in Natural Resources (emphasis in social psychology) - Colorado State University
Fort Collins, CO, 2004
MS, Fisheries & Wildlife Management - Utah State University
Logan, UT, 1999
BS, Fisheries & Wildlife Management - Utah State University
Logan, UT, 1997
Graduate & Advisor Program
Tara Teel
Graduate Coordinator
Awards, Honors, Grants
- Outstanding Service Award, Department of Human Dimensions of Natural Resources, Colorado State University, 2021
- Outstanding Mentorship Award, Warner College of Natural Resources, Colorado State University , 2020
- Denver Regional Council of Governments Award recipient for the project entitled “Understanding the Multi-Dimensional Nature of Human-Coyote Conflict in Urban Areas”, 2012
- President of the Social Science Working Group of the Society for Conservation Biology (elected position), 2009-2014
Memberships
- Society for Conservation Biology (2006-Present)
- The Wildlife Society (1997-Present)
- Psychology Representative, Elected to the Board of the Social Science Working Group, Society for Conservation Biology (2007-2016)
- International Association for Society and Natural Resources (2001-Present)