Elena Rubino, PhD

Board of Directors

University of Arkansas, Monticello | 2024-2026

Elena is an Assistant Professor of Conservation Social Science at the University of Arkansas at Monticello and she firmly believes that environmental problems are people problems—and thus environmental efforts need solutions that include people to be successful. Her work is grounded in human decision-making and behavior change, where she uses interdisciplinary methods (including quantitative and qualitative approaches) to conduct research that results in policy/program recommendations that improve wildlife and habitat conservation on private lands. More specifically, she investigates how policy, decision-making, and strategic communication can be used to improve conservation outcomes. She also addresses natural resource issues that are of global importance, including human-wildlife conflict/interaction, sustainable use of wildlife, and promoting the engagement of private landowners in wildlife and habitat conservation. Her research assists government agencies and conservation organizations in the design of conservation policy, management actions, and communications and outreach. Her research informs her teaching at the University of Arkansas at Monticello where she teaches three required undergraduate classes; Human Dimensions of Natural Resources, Natural Resources Communications, and Contemporary Issues in Natural Resource Management (which is a 2-week experiential field course that involves traveling throughout the region to meet with various natural resource professionals and visit the land they manage, At the graduate level, she teaches a Social Aspects of Natural Resources course, aimed at preparing students for the social components of their professional careers in the natural resources field.