
Heidi Huber-Stearns

About
Heidi Huber-Stearns is focused on engaged research for the Western Forest and Fire Initiative. She is also an Associate Research Professor and Director of the Ecosystem Workforce Program, in the Institute for Resilient Organizations, Communities, and Environment at the University of Oregon. Heidi is an interdisciplinary social scientist, with expertise in environmental governance and linking science to action through strategic and diverse partnerships. Her work focuses on organizations and boundary spanning to address wildfire risks and watershed vulnerabilities in at-risk communities, particularly in the western United States.
Publications
Santo, Huber-Stearns and Smith. (Accepted). Communicating with the public about wildland fire preparation, response, and recovery: A review of recent literature. Applied Environmental Education & Communication
Huber-Stearns, Davis, Cheng and Deak. (In press). Spanning boundaries for managing wildfire risk in forest and range landscapes: Lessons from case studies in the western United States. International Journal of Wildland Fire (IJWF).
Davis, Huber-Stearns, Cheng, Caggiano, McEvoy and Deak. (2022). Managed Wildfire: A Strategy Limited by Terminology, Risk Perception, and Ownership Boundaries. Society and Natural Resources.
Kooistra, Schultz, Abrams and Huber-Stearns. (2022). Institutionalizing the U.S. Forest Service’s Shared Stewardship Strategy. Journal of Forestry.
Westphal, Dockry, Kenefic, Sachdeva, Rhodeland, Locke, Kern, Huber-Stearns and Coughlan. (2022). USDA Forest Service Employee Diversity During a Period of Workforce Contraction, Journal of Forestry, fvab071.
Western Forest and Fire Initiative
See CV for a list of funded research projects.
PhD, Colorado State University (forest sciences, natural resource policy)
MS, Colorado State University (human dimensions of natural resources)
BS, Southern Oregon University (environmental studies social science and policy)
- Ecosystem Workforce Program, Institute for Resilient Organizations, Communities, and Environment, University of Oregon. Associate research Professor and Director
- Rural Voices for Conservation Coalition Leadership Team
- Northwest Fire Science Consortium Management Team
- North American Alliance of Hazards and Disaster Research Institutes (NAAHDRI) Board of Directors
- California Council on Science & Technology's Linking Forest Health, Wildfire Smoke, and Public Health Steering Committee
- Society & Natural Resources Associate Editor
- Blue Forest Science Advisor
- Oregon State University Extension Fire Program State Advisory Committee Member