Stephanie Snyder

Title: Operations Research Analyst
Unit: People and Their Environments: Social Science Supporting Natural Resource Management and Policy
Previous Unit: Social & Economic Dimensions of Ecosystem Management
Address: Northern Research Station
1992 Folwell Ave
St. Paul, MN 55108
Phone: 651-649-5294
E-mail: Contact Stephanie Snyder

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Education

• Johns Hopkins University, Ph.D. Systems Analysis for Public and Environmental Decision-Making, 1996.
• Johns Hopkins University, M.A. Systems Analysis for Public and Environmental Decision-Making, 1992.
• Boston University, B.A. Physical Geography, 1990.

Civic & Professional Affiliations

Society of American Foresters, Institute for Operations Research and the Management Sciences (INFORMS)

Current Research

I develop optimization decision models that provide information useful to land managers in understanding alternatives, consequences, and tradeoffs associated with a range of land management decisions. The goal of my research is helping to facilitate more effective decision-making about how best to balance the host of environmental, social, and economic issues associated with natural resource planning, management, and decision-making. I have developed models for selecting habitat reserve sites, open space land acquisition, and scheduling timber harvests. I am currently developing new models for selecting grassland habitat reserve sites and open spaces in an urbanizing landscape, as well as starting a study to explore the utility of optimization models in designing ATV trail systems. I am also working on studies aimed at quantifying ecosystem services and values people hold for forest attributes.

Why is This Important

My research helps managers determine efficient strategies, informs them about the consequences of their choices, and identifies the trade-offs inherent in complex land use and management decision-making. With this information, managers can make more effective decisions about how best to balance a host of competing objectives, priorities and goals inherent in land management

Future Research

I am very interested in conducting research aimed at identifying, quantifying, and estimating the values associated with a range of different ecosystem services. I am most interested in understanding and quantifying the nonmarket values of forested ecosystems and then developing ways to incorporate this information into land management decision-making processes.

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