Fire is an important process in many terrestrial ecosystems, but around the world it is also
becoming an increasingly devastating natural hazard. Wildfire is now recognized as a pressing
yet intractable environmental problem with complex social, ecological, and technical causes and
consequences. In this international graduate-level seminar, students will investigate the global
wildfire problem through the lens of social-ecological-technical systems (SETS) theory. Through
analysis of research papers, news articles, documentaries, and reports, and discussions with
faculty, postdoctoral researchers, and guest speakers working in the fields of forest
management, fire protection, community development, and climate change mitigation and
adaptation, we will build our collective understanding of wildfire as a SETS and how to manage
it as such. This course will help prepare students for applied research and practice in the
context of complex environmental programs and in geographic regions affected by wildfire
specifically.