Researcher and Adjunct Assistant Professor, Department of Environment and Society
Utah State University
Bio:
Dr. Lisa Welsh is a Researcher and Adjunct Assistant Professor in the Department of Environment and Society at Utah State University. She received her Ph.D. from Utah State University in 2014 in Human Dimensions of Ecosystem Science and Management. Her research focuses on water policy, particularly policy around Great Salt Lake, land and water planning integration, and wetland management. She is currently working with the Utah Growing Water Smart program, which facilitates workshops that support community leaders and staff in collaborating to build a sustainable and resilient water future. She teaches courses on environmental policy and best practices in preparing and writing NEPA documents.
Panel: Preservation and Protection in Perpetuity: People’s Perceptions and Participation
Abstract: Social scientists are well suited to investigate and analyze people’s perceptions and participation regarding Great Salt Lake and how Utah is doing with preserving and protecting it in perpetuity. This panel will present audience members with key insights from research being conducted by members of the recently formed Great Salt Lake Social Science Network (GSL SSN), who are investigating a variety of societal issues related to Great Salt Lake, many focusing on the drying of the lake. The network includes social science researchers from many of Utah’s universities, as well as other states. They have been conducting GSL-related research focused on the larger Utah population, as well as specific groups, and different types of communities, employing a variety of research methods including surveys, focus groups, individual interviews, policy analyses, content analyses of public documents, photovoice, and longitudinal studies.
Each panelist will provide what they consider the most important insight from their work. Issues that members of the network are researching broadly include:
- how various segments of the Utah population perceive and experience environmental risk related to Great Salt Lake’s desiccation, and their responses, including migration and displacement, effects on investment strategies, and other forms of adaptation;
- analysis of public discourse, politics, and management issues related to efforts to save and preserve the GSL; and,
- Utahns’ support for a wide range of policies and strategies related to GSL, including those addressing the drivers and consequences of lake desiccation and those focused on protecting people as well as other species and nature more generally.
