Amanda E Cravens, Ph.D.
Amanda Cravens is a Research Social Scientist at the USGS Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center
Amanda's interdisciplinary research interests include the translation of scientific information into decision making, policies and institutions that influence environmental management, and understanding the cognitive and social processes that make decision support tools work effectively. Amanda's disciplinary training includes geography, policy/institutional analysis, and the learning sciences. Her research spans resource areas, with recent and current projects focusing on decision support for coastal hazards, human dimensions of ecological drought, socioeconomic aspects of water availability, and land manager decision making in the face of ecological transformation. She is also very interested in the practice of interdisciplinary science and has served as a member of multiple working groups as well as published on the role of creativity in science.
Professional Experience
Research Social Scientist, USGS Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center, Corvallis, OR (2023-present)
Research Social Scientist, USGS Fort Collins Science Center, Fort Collins, CO (2017-2023)
Mendenhall Postdoctoral Fellow (Social Science), USGS Fort Collins Science Center, Fort Collins, CO (2015-2017)
Early Career Fellow, Gould Center for Conflict Resolution, Stanford Law School, Stanford, CA (2014-2015)
Dachs Fellow, Stanford Emmett Interdisciplinary Program in Environment and Resources, Stanford University, Stanford, CA (2009-2014)
Information Architect and Web Editor, SustainAbility Ltd, London UK (2008-2009)
Fulbright Graduate Fellow (New Zealand) (2006-2008)
Internet Coordinator, Resources for the Future, Washington DC (2005-2007)
Education and Certifications
Ph.D. Environment and Resources, Stanford University, 2014
M.A. Geography, University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand, 2008
B.A. History, Swarthmore College, 2004
Affiliations and Memberships*
Northwest Climate Adaptation Science Center (2023 to present)
North Central Climate Adaptation Science Center (2015 to 2023)
Science and Products
Intermountain west drought social science synthesis working group: Report to the National Climate Adaptation Science Center
Planning for ecological drought: Integrating ecosystem services and vulnerability assessment
How and why Upper Colorado River Basin land, water, and fire managers choose to use drought tools (or not)
Rivers are social–ecological systems: Time to integrate human dimensions into riverscape ecology and management
Ecological drought: Accounting for the non-human impacts of water shortage in the Upper Missouri Headwaters Basin, Montana, USA
Defining ecological drought for the 21st century
Crossing boundaries in a collaborative modeling workspace
Science and Products
Intermountain west drought social science synthesis working group: Report to the National Climate Adaptation Science Center
Planning for ecological drought: Integrating ecosystem services and vulnerability assessment
How and why Upper Colorado River Basin land, water, and fire managers choose to use drought tools (or not)
Rivers are social–ecological systems: Time to integrate human dimensions into riverscape ecology and management
Ecological drought: Accounting for the non-human impacts of water shortage in the Upper Missouri Headwaters Basin, Montana, USA
Defining ecological drought for the 21st century
Crossing boundaries in a collaborative modeling workspace
*Disclaimer: Listing outside positions with professional scientific organizations on this Staff Profile are for informational purposes only and do not constitute an endorsement of those professional scientific organizations or their activities by the USGS, Department of the Interior, or U.S. Government