CURRICULUM VITAE
LEIGH A. BERNACCHI
Department of Agricultural Economics and Rural Sociology
University of Idaho
lbernacchi@uidaho.edu
559.593.2123
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EDUCATION
2012-Present Post-Doctoral Researcher, Rural Sociology
University of Idaho, Moscow, Idaho
Regional Approaches to Climate Change—Pacific Northwest Agriculture
2013
PhD (expected), Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences
Texas A & M University, College Station, Texas
Dissertation: Natural Resource Management, Communication and Representation
2007
MS, Environmental Humanities
University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah
Thesis: The Family Waters
2004
BA, Environmental Science
Willamette University, Salem, Oregon
Thesis: Single Species Management on a Coastal Headland, Oregon
2002 Study Abroad, Lorenzo d’Medici Art School of Florence, Italy
2002 Study Abroad, Field School, Quito, Ecuador
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
2012
Post-Doctoral Researcher, Regional Approaches to Climate Change—Pacific Northwest
Agriculture (REACCH-PNA), Social Science Objective
2008-2012
Research Assistant, Dr. Tarla Rai Peterson, Texas A & M University, with projects
funded by the Department of Energy, US Fish and Wildlife Service
2011
Assistant Assigning Editor, Journal of Environmental Communication
2008, 2009
National Park Service Interpretive Ranger, Yosemite National Park, CA
2005-2008. Writing Program Instructor, University of Utah
2005
National Park Service Ranger, Denali National Park and Preserve, AK
2005
Assistant to Director, California Sustainable Agriculture Working Grp., Santa Cruz, CA
2004
National Park Service Ranger, Sequoia National Park, CA
TEACHING EXPERIENCE
2007
Assistant to Dr. Stephen Tatum, Theories of Popular Culture: Postmodernism (ENGL
5960), University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah
2005-2008
Intermediate College Writing (WRTG 2010), University of Utah
2007
Trained to teach Science Writing (WRTG 3010), University of Utah
2006-2007
Introduction to College Writing (WRTG 1010), University of Utah
2006
Mariposa County Schools Technology Festival, Mariposa & Yosemite National Park, CA
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INVITED LECTURES
2011
Climate Change and Communication. For Dr. Eric Lindquist’s George Bush Institute of
Science, Technology, and Public Policy course, global climate change
2011
Facilitating Conflict. For Dr. Tarla Rai Peterson’s Wildlife and Fisheries Science course,
Conflict Resolution in Natural Resource Management
2011
Latourian Compositionism. For Dr. Tarla Rai Peterson’s Wildlife and Fisheries Science
course, Public Participation in Natural Resource Management
2010
National Park Service Dual Mandate. For Justin Taillon’s Recreation, Parks, and Tourism
Studies course, Administration of Recreation Resource Agencies
PUBLICATIONS
J.D. Wulfhorst, P. Salant, P. Watson, S. Kane, & L.A. Bernacchi. (2013). “Latinos: Immigration and
Labor within Rural Agricultural Communities.” In C. Bailey, L. Jensen E. Ransom (Eds.) Rural
America in a Globalizing World: Problems and Prospects for the 2010s. West Virginia University Press.
Bernacchi, L.A. (2012). “Flocking: Bird-Human Ritual Communication.” In E. Plec (Ed.) Perspectives on
Human-Animal Communication. Routledge.
D.M. Hall, L.A. Bernacchi, T.O. Milstein and T.R. Peterson. (2009). “Calling all artists: Moving climate
change from my space to my place.” In D.E. Endres, L.Sprain and T.R.Peterson (editors). Social
Movement to Address Climate Change: Local Steps for Global Action. Island Press. Pp. 53-80.
REPORTS
L.A. Bernacchi & Cristi Horton. 2011. AFRI Rangelands Stakeholder Responses to Adaptation to and
Mitigation for Climate Change in the Southern Great Plains Rangelands.
L.A. Bernacchi & Tazim Jamal (Eds.). 2011. El Camino Real de los Tejas Tourism Best Practices.
PRESENTATIONS
2012 “The Complexity of farm adaptation amidst agroecological constraints.” Rural Sociological
Society, Chicago, IL with J.D. Wulfhorst, S. Kane, P. Diebel & D.L. Young.
2012 “Science Interrupted: Constructions of Scientific Narratives in Community-Based
Conservation.” North American Congress for Conservation Biology, Oakland, CA with C.J.
Ragland & T.R. Peterson
2012 “The Power of Scientific Persuasion.” Ecological Integration Symposium, College Station, TX
2011 International Congress for Conservation Biology, Auckland, New Zealand with C.J. Ragland &
T.R. Peterson
2011 “Unfolding Paper Cranes: Nature Writing and Rhetoric through a Single Experience.”
Conference on Communication and the Environment, El Paso, TX
2011 “Who’s the Real Scientist?: Politicizing the Science Behind Whooping Crane Management.”
Conference on Communication and the Environment, El Paso, TX with C.J. Ragland
2011 “350.org: A Case Study of an International Web-Initiated Environmental Movement.”
Conference on Communication and the Environment, El Paso, TX with A. Feldpausch-Parker, I.
Parker, & T.R. Peterson
2010 “Constraints for wildlife conservation: Community considerations for wildlife managers based
on whooping crane and hawksbill turtle case studies.” The Wildlife Society, Snowbird, UT with
M.J. Liles
2009 “In Commonness is the Preservation of the Bird: Climate Change, Citizen Science and Birds,”
The Wildlife Society, Monterey, CA
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2007
2007
“Escaping Preservationist Rhetoric to Restore Hetch Hetchy,” WSRL: Western States Literacy
and Rhetoric Conference, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ
“Natural Manipulation: Orogenesis and Erosion in a Digital Landscape,” COCE: Conference on
Communication and the Environment, DePaul University, Chicago, IL
PRESENTED BY COAUTHORS
2012 “Using Conflict Analysis to Identify Opportunities for Progress in Endangered Species
Conservation.” North American Congress for Conservation Biology, Oakland, CA with C.J.
Ragland & T.R. Peterson
2011 “Communicating about Conservation: Endangered species conservation on the US Gulf Coast.”
International Congress for Conservation Biology, with C.J. Ragland, J. B. Barbour and T.R.
Peterson
2011 “350.org: A Case Study of an International Web-Initiated Environmental Movement.”
International Congress for Conservation Biology, with A. Feldpausch-Parker, I. Parker and T.R.
Peterson
2009 “Efforts for the federally endangered ocelot: A case study of Environmental Defense Fund’s
incentive-based conservation programs.” The Wildlife Society, with A. Feldpausch-Parker
2009 “International public participation practices for conservation: A case study on El Salvador's
eastern Pacific hawksbill turtle,” The Wildlife Society, with M. J. Liles
2007 “Step It Up 2007: A National Research Project on Climate Change: Breaking Form in Texas,”
COCE: Conference on Communication and the Environment, DePaul University, Chicago,
IL, with D.M. Hall
POSTERS
2012 “Scaling Up Regional GeoVisualization Capacities among Human Subject Participants.”
Visualization Modeling Workshop, Socio-Ecological Synthesis Center (SESYNC), Annapolis,
MD
2012 L.A. Bernacchi and J.D. Wulfhorst. “Climate, Land Use and Agricultural and Natural
Resources: Activities in Interdisciplinary Research, Education and Outreach.” BioEarth
Conference, Washington State University, WA
2011 M. J. Liles, L.A. Bernacchi, T.R. Peterson. “Banning Sea Turtle egg consumption in El Salvador:
the role of hatcheries in conflict resolution.” Ecological Integration Symposium, Texas A&M
University, College Station, TX
2011 L.A. Bernacchi, C.J. Ragland, T.R. Peterson. “Downscaling: Recognizing Local Potential for
Endangered Species Management.” The Wildlife Society Annual Meeting. Waikoloa, HI
2011 L.A.Bernacchi, C.J. Ragland, T.R. Peterson. Biodiversity Conservation as a Local Action:
Participation in endangered species and community integration. International Congress for
Conservation Biology. Auckland, New Zealand
HONORS AND AWARDS
2012
Tom Slick Senior Graduate Fellow, Texas A&M University
2008-2011
Boone & Crockett Fellow, Texas A&M University
2011
Gilbert Scholarship, Recreation, Parks and Tourism Sciences, Texas A&M University
2010
Study Abroad merit scholarship, Texas A&M University
2005
Graduate Student Fellowship, University of Utah
2006
Memorial Fellowship, University of Utah
2006
Conference on Communication and the Environment, travel award
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PROFESSIONAL AND COMMUNITY SERVICE
2011
Invited Panelist for Applied Biodiversity Sciences program’s screening of Ghost Bird
2011-pres
International Environmental Communication Association founding member
2009-pres
Applied Biodiversity Sciences Affiliated Student
2011-pres
Brains, Learning and Animal Behavior Working Group, Glasscock Center
2010-2011
Organizer for Ecological Integration Symposium, Texas A&M University
2010
Edited and contributed to El Camino Real Heritage Site Management Plan
2009
Backyard Bird Count, Christmas Bird Count research and contributions
2007
Runoff Celebration, part of Step It Up National Carbon Emission Cutting Event.
Coordinated language and ceremony
PUBLIC POLICY SERVICE
2011-pres.
Social Science Researcher, World Heritage Sites and Sustainability, San Miguel de
Allende & Guanajuato, Mexico
2011
Facilitator and Social Science Researcher, USDA AFRI Rangelands project proposal.
Designed, coordinated exercises for understanding values and conflict around rangelands
2010-2011
Social Science Researcher, Institute of Renewable Natural Resources
WORKSHOPS ATTENDED
2012 Visualization Modeling Workshop, Socio-Ecological Synthesis Center (SESYNC), Annapolis,
MD
2007 Wildbranch Writing Workshop with Erik Reece, Sterling College, Craftsbury Common, VT
2006 Environmental Writing Institute with Sharman Apt Russell, University of Montana, Missoula,
MT
2006 Ecology of Residency with Terry Tempest Williams, Murie Center, Moose/Grand Tetons
National Park, WY
SKILLS
Computer: Adobe Photoshop, Adobe InDesign, NVivo for Qualitative Research, Microsoft Office,
ArcGIS, Data Visualization
Language: Spanish, Italian, French
Biology: North American bird identification, Western North America plant identification
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