Bio
Dr. Jessica Tran is an environmental social scientist. Her research and teaching focus on environmental justice, Indigenous natural resource management, sense of place, and the social impacts of climate change. Along her career, she has fed anacondas and counted seals along the Alaskan coast.
She completed her Ph.D. in Natural Resources Science and Management at the University of Minnesota. She is a recipient of the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship and 500 Women Scientists' Fellowship for the Future.
Starting Fall 2026, Dr. Tran will join Kansas State University's Center for Hazardous Substance Research as a Tribal Postdoctoral Fellow.
Academic Background
University of Minnesota
Degree Program: Ph.D. Natural Resource Science and Management
Dissertation: Environmental Justice and Community Engaged Research at the Tar Creek Superfund Site in Ottawa County, Oklahoma
Advisor: Dr. Mae Davenport
Committee: Dr. Eli Sagor, Dr. Fayola Jacobs, & Martin Lively, J.D.
Stony Brook University
Degree Program: B.A. Environmental Design, Policy, and Plannning
Minor: Coastal Environmental Studies
Honors Thesis: Should I Stay or Should I Go: A literature review analyzing obstacles and best practices in managed retreat implementation
Advisor: Dr. Donovan Finn
