Dr. Kelly Biedenweg has been appointed Lead Social Scientist at the Puget Sound Institute, with funding from the National Science Foundation and the Puget Sound Partnership. As part of her role at the Institute, she will develop critical social science to support recovery of the Puget Sound, immediately focusing on the development and testing of Quality of Life (HWB) indicators.

“I am extremely pleased that Kelly decided to base her research program at the UW Puget Sound Institute,” said Institute Director Joel Baker.” The Puget Sound restoration effort will benefit greatly by the integration of social and natural sciences.”

Biedenweg has been a Visiting Scientist at the Institute since 2012, and in her new role, she will also build regional social science capacity by advising UW graduate students, collaborating with other scientists throughout the region, and supporting the inclusion of social science in Partnership workshops, conferences, and research priority-setting.

Biedenweg is a postdoctoral scholar through Stanford University and holds a PhD in the human dimensions of natural resource management. Since joining the Institute, she has worked with a variety of agencies and NGOs, including the Hood Canal Coordinating Council, The Nature Conservancy, the USFS Pacific Northwest Research Station and the Natural Capital Project to explore systematic methods for incorporating social and cultural values into ecosystem-based management planning.  She is the recipient of the Science Engineering and Education for Sustainability (SEES) fellowship from the National Science Foundation.  More about her prior work can be found at www.kellybiedenweg.com.