Broadly, my research addresses questions of social-ecological system (SES) complexity, the emergence of sociocultural and biophysical elements within SESs, and the interactive processes linking these elements, but from the unique, and often neglected, perspective of the people living within these complex systems. My expertise as an ecological anthropologist lies in the study of local environmental knowledge (LEK), including traditional or indigenous knowledge, and how this amalgam of knowledge-practice-belief is used to sustain livelihoods and households. The innovative and interdisciplinary approaches I use afford opportunities for scientists, community members, policy makers, and policy implementers to work together; co-producing new knowledge necessary for locally appropriate, resilient, and sustainable solutions. Recently, my interests have expanded to think about LEK in the US context; where and how we learn LEK, differences in LEK based on personal experiences/surrounding culture/access to nature, and how we use our LEK in our day-to-day lives. My research deepens theoretical understandings of human contributions to, and maintenance of, the biodiversity and ecosystem services upon which all life depends. In the Anthropocene, this knowledge is increasingly important as we approach planetary limits of land use and freshwater scarcity, and mitigate those boundaries already crossed like biodiversity loss and global climate change. In the applied arena, my work addresses issues of household well-being, resource management and governance, species conservation, human-wildlife conflict, and adaptation to environmental changes, including climate uncertainties. I have collaborated with local farming and fishing communities - rural and urban - on environmental research in Africa (Kenya, Tanzania, Mozambique, South Africa), the Pacific Islands inclusive of US Territories (Fiji, American Samoa, Guam), and the mainland United States (Oregon, New York, and Maryland).

Dr. Shaffer is an Affiliate Associate Professor in the UMD Department of Environmental Science and Technology. She also the Faculty Advisor for ENSP Culture and Environment, for more information on the concentration please visit: https://ensp.umd.edu/concentrations/culture-environment

ORCID: 0000-0002-0635-0576  
 

Selected Publications: (*indicates student advisee)

2024

2022

2021

2020

2019

2017

2014

In the news:

 


 

Areas of Interest

  • Ethnoecology/Local Environmental Knowledge; Social-Ecological Systems; Biodiversity Conservation; Food and Water Security; Adaptation to Environmental Change; Human-Wildlife Co-existence; Resilience; Vulnerability; Livelihoods; Historical Ecology
  • Social Network Analysis; Citizen Science; Knowledge Co-Production
  • Savanna & Coastal Communities; Southern & Eastern Africa; Maryland; Guam
CV: Shaffer CV_2.2025.pdf360.8 KB

Degrees

  • Degree Type
    PhD
    Degree Details
    Anthropology (Ecological & Environmental Anthropology), 2009 – University of Georgia, Athens, GA
  • Degree Type
    MS
    Degree Details
    Environmental Studies (Biology; Geography; Planning, Public Policy & Management), 1999 – University of Oregon, Eugene, OR
  • Degree Type
    BS
    Degree Details
    Biology (Ecology & Evolutionary Biology) cum laude, 1994 – Cornell University, Ithaca, NY

Former Students

  • Michaelis, Adriane
    Assistant Professor, Virginia Institute of Marine Sciences
  • Wolford, Olivia
  • Bassett, Maeve
    San Antonio Botanical Gardens
  • Blair, Kayleigh
  • McDonald, Kevin
  • Mittmann, Helen
  • Tompkins, Jordan
  • Nutter, Alyssa
  • Alberda, Rebecca

Related Students (Listed by Student on Student's Profile)

  • Maeve Bassett
  • Kaleigh Blair
  • Keeli Otto
  • Jess Staggs
  • Amanda Stapleton
  • Salvador Valdez-Ono
  • Olivia Wolford
Shaffer, Jen
2101P Woods Hall
Department of Anthropology
Email
lshaffe1 [at] umd.edu
Office Hours
On sabbatical leave in Guam June 2024-July 2025.