Expertise

Dr. Richard Ross Shaker's applied and solution-focused research is in the realm of human-landscape coevolution, sustainable development, and global ecology. As Homo sapiens continues to stretch the Earth beyond its biocapacity it is integral to elucidate their patterns and processes through space and time. His research group is actively studying the interactions between natural and social systems for sustainable development, environmental management, global change resilience, ecological restoration, and environmental planning purposes. Past research investigated: aquatic invasive species propagation, sustainable urbanization and design, non-point source pollution, sustainable development indices, climate change resilience, and sustainable landscape change from city to continental scales. Past study areas include: Adirondack Park, New York City, Toronto, Ontario's Mixedwood Plains, Moldova, Europe, Americas, Africa, and Asia. Dr. Shaker's applied research remains primarily in the environmental sphere of sustainability, while theoretically at the nexus of evolutionary science, feedback mechanisms, learning and behavior change, planning and policy responses.

Links

Department webpage.
Consulting webpage.
Google Scholar webpage.

Honors

Research Fellow, Academy of Sciences of Moldova, Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program
Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (United States, Washington D.C.) - ECA, 2009-2010
Fulbright Specialist, University of Botswana
U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) and World Learning, 2025-2026

Organizational Affiliations

Department of Sustainable Resources Management, Academic Departments and Divisions, College of Environmental Science and Forestry

Education

Geography
09/200708/2011, Doctor of Philosophy, University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee (United States, Milwaukee) - UWM

Dissertation advisors: Timothy Ehlinger; Chris De Sousa