Sara Jo Breslow

As a biologist-turned-anthropologist, I offer a social science and transdisciplinary lens to understanding and addressing complex challenges in the human-nature relationship. A trusted leader in applied environmental social science locally and abroad, I collaborate with a wide variety of partners to develop foundational concepts, translate anthropological insights into tools for decision-making, build institutional capacity, and shape policies that advance sustainability and social justice.

In my spare time you’ll find me walking my dog around my Seattle neighborhood, trying to make my garden grow, or hiking with a friend in my beloved Cascade Mountains.

To learn more about my professional experience and accomplishments please see my CV.

In my empirical research I use primarily ethnographic and arts-based methods to study topics such as senses of place, environmental conflict, and human well-being as they relate to conservation and ecosystem recovery. I am especially known for experimenting with research-based theatre in which verbatim interview excerpts become the basis for a play– and I have found that this process also helps my ethnographic writing! I enjoy collaborating on inter- and trans-disciplinary working groups to develop innovative approaches for incorporating humanistic and social science insight into social-ecological problem-solving. Most recently, I have been co-leading initiatives to scope research agendas that highlight how a broad range of expertise, including the social sciences and environmental humanities, can serve ecosystem practitioners.

The academic fields most influencing my work are environmental anthropology, political ecology, environmental history, and science and technology studies.

For more information or to explore working together, please send me a message. I’d love to hear from you!