Hi. I'm Gwen. I'm an associate professor of environmental policy in University of California, Davis's Department of Environmental Science and Policy. At UC Davis, I am affiliated with the Center for Environmental Policy and Behavior. I am also an affiliated faculty member at Indiana University's Vincent and Elinor Ostrom Workshop in Political Theory and Policy Analysis.
In 2012 I graduated from Indiana University's public policy PhD, a joint degree program housed in the Department of Political Science and the School of Public and Environmental Affairs. My advisor and commitee chair was Dr. Elinor Ostrom. To learn more about her amazing life, this video is a good place to start.
Currently, my substantive research interests are high-volume hydraulic fracturing ("fracking") and wetland management. These are the contexts in which I investigate unanswered, societally important questions about local government decision-making; federalism, particularly involving localities; governance networks; policy entrepreneurship; and policy learning, adoption, implementation, and diffusion.
I enjoy teaching and take it seriously. Many students pay for their education with expensive loans and significant personal sacrifice. University instructors need to offer them educational opportunities commensurately valuable. I am proud to be the Master Advisor for UC Davis's Environmental Policy, Analysis, and Planning major (and students are proud of EPAP! See this student-made video about the EPAP major here).
In my spare time I can be found swimming, biking, and hanging out with dogs at Homeward Bound. Doug the Dog, Teddy (RIP), and Weston have all followed me home, and one of them insists on coming to work.
I can be reached at gbarnold@ucdavis.edu. Follow me on Twitter: @policyandpups
2021-2022 and 2022-2023 Research Interns: Coming soon! (sorry, life got hard)
2020-2021 Research Interns!
From left to right: Minah, Melissa, Adrianna, Hannah, Sydney, Parisa, Makena, Rachel, Luigi, Geneva and friend, Jessica, Maia. Not pictured: Jaclyn, Lauren, Holly, Zach, Carly, Diana, Alex, Paola, Yuer, Alana, Kathryn, Fei, and Aneka
2019-2020 Research Interns: COVID, we hate you, you stink!
2018-2019 Research Interns!
From left to right: Ayse, Arianna and friends, Lindsey and friends, Gwen, Doug the Dog, Luke, Megan (grad student), and Erica (grad student). Not pictured: Angel, Antonio, Alli, Charlotte, Cheryl, Daniela, Junna, Leila, Lier, Lorna, Margaret, Mckenna, Nicolle, Tatyana, Victoria, Yufei.
2017-2018 Research Interns!
Photo 1, left to right: Gwen and Doug, Mackenzie (grad student), Becky, Daniela, Nora, Jessica, Tatjana, and Joy. Picture 2: Tatjana, Joy, Emily, Gwen and Doug, Megan (grad student), Daniela, Jessica, and Mackenzie. Not pictured: Bryan, Brooke, Leila, Lindsey, Maggie, Madeeha, Madeline (grad student), Suhki, and Susie.
2016-2017 Research Interns!
From left to right: Eleni, Sarai, Gwen, Eric, Meghan (grad student), Lana, Kelsey, Mina, Susie, and Ladan (and of course Doug). Not pictured: Heba, Madeline (grad student), Michael, Mingjun, Melissa, Nikita, and Vivian.
