College of Agriculture & Natural Resources Department of Fisheries and Wildlife

Faculty Affiliate, MSU Center for European, Russian and Eurasian Studies

Fellow, The Wildlife Society

Who the heck is Parish Storrs Lovejoy?

I believe P. S. Lovejoy sired more ideas about men and land than any contemporary in the conservation field.  Aldo Leopold (1943)

Background:

Dr. Riley is a professor in the Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, and a scientist in the Partnership for Ecosystem Research and Management sponsored by Michigan's Department of Natural Resources (DNR). He is also a faculty affiliate with the MSU Center for European, Russian and Eurasian Studies, and an Adjunct Professor of Practice at Virginia Tech University’s Center for Environmental Security. Dr. Riley currently is working half-time and most of his efforts are aimed at research and outreach with the DNR. During 2009-2010, Dr. Riley served as a Senior Fulbright Fellow to Sweden. In 2022, he was a Fulbright Specialist at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences in Umeå. 

Dr. Riley is no longer accepting graduate students.

Research Endeavors:

• Assessing beliefs and attitudes towards wolves and wolf management in Michigan (in collaboration with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources).
• Changing value orientations of wildlife professionals in the United States (in cooperation with The Max McGraw Wildlife Foundation).
• Improving partnerships for the Michigan Department of Natural Resources' Wildlife Division: creation of public value through collaborative governance and partnerships.
• Assessing fear of large, wild animals in Sweden (in collaboration with the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences).
• Evaluating the opportunities and willingness of non-hunting outdoor recreationalists to engage in wildlife conservation.
• Assessing the dynamics of sharing and receiving wild-harvested venison in Michigan and Sweden: a comparison of different regulatory and normative frameworks (in cooperation with the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences).

Publication Profiles:

MSU Scholar Profile

Publications:

Decker, D. J., E. F. Pomeranz , A. B. Forstchen, S. J. Riley, P. E. Lederle, M. V. Schiavone, M. S. Baumer, C. A. Smith, R. K. Frohlich, R. J. Benedict and R. King. In press. Taking time to think: The tyranny of being "Too Busy" and the practice of wildlife management.  Frontiers in Conservation Science.

Menale, R. T., S. J. Riley, and J. F. Organ.  In press.  Change in attitudes and beliefs about uses of wildlife among wildlife conservation professionals.  The Wildlife Society Bulletin.

Burton, S., D. Kramer, K. Frank, and S. J. Riley. 2023. The role of social networks in developing of partnerships with state wildlife agencies. Human Dimensions of Wildlife https://doi.org/10.1080/10871209.2021.2015015

Ford, J. K., S. J. Riley, J. Van Fossen, and E. F. Pomeranz. 2023.  Exploring transformative change in a state wildlife agency. Human Dimensions of Wildlife 28(3): http://doi.org/10.1080/10871209.2022.2029979

Riley, S. J., and A. K. Fuller.  2023.  Human dimensions, decision science, and the Endangered Species Act.  Chapter 14 in L. E. Baier and J. F. Organ, Editors.  The Codex of the Endangered Species Act: The Next Fifty Years (Volume II). Rowman and Littlefield, Lanham, MD, USA.

Decker, D.J., S. J. Riley, and W. F. Siemer. 2022. Human dimensions of wildlife management. Chapter 4 in P. R. Krausman and J. W. Cain, III, editors. Wildlife Management & Conservation: Contemporary Principles, & Practices, 2nd Edition. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore, MD, USA. 

Mudumba, T., R. J. Moll, S. Jingo, S. J. Riley, D. W. MacDonald, C. Astaras, and R. A. Montgomery. 2022.  Influence of social status and industrial development on attitude toward use of illegal hunting tools.  Global Ecology and Conservation 38: e02271. http://doi.org/10.1016/j.gecco.2022.e02271

Siemer, W. F., D. J. Decker, and S. J. Riley. 2021.  Key concepts in human dimensions of wildlife conservation.  Chapter 7 in Bishop, C. Editor. Concepts in wildlife conservation. Great River Learning, Dubuque, IA, USA. 

Henderson, C. D., S. J. Riley, E. F. Pomeranz, and D. B. Kramer. 2021. Stakeholder support for wildlife conservation funding policies.  Frontiers in Conservation Science http://doi.org/10.3389/fcosc.2021.767413

Siemer, W. F., M. S. Baumer, E. F. Pomeranz, D. J. Decker, A. B. Forstchen, S. J. Riley, M. V. Schiavone, C. A. Smith, and P. E. Lederle. 2021. Accelerating development of fish and wildlife professionals will take more than training.  Wildlife Society Bulletin 46(1): e1258.

Ford, J. K., S. J. Riley, T. Lauricella, and J. VanFossen. 2020. Factors affecting trust among natural resources stakeholders, partners, and strategic alliance members: A meta-analytic investigation. Invited paper to special issue. Frontiers in Communication 5, 9.  https://doi.org/10.3389/fcomm.2020.00009

Ford., J. K., T. Lauricella, J. A. Van Fossen, and S. J. Riley. 2020. Creating energy for change: the role of perceived leadership support on commitment to an organizational change initiative. Journal of Applied Behavioral Sciences p.0021886320907423. Click here for Abstract.

Gillotti, L., T. Teel, and S. J. Riley.  2020.  Human dimensions of cougar management: public attitudes and values. in Jenks, J. A., editor. Managing cougars in North America. Western Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies and Berryman Institute Press, 2^nd edition. 

Goguen, A. D., and S. J. Riley. 2020. Characteristics and extent of receiving wild-harvest meat in Michigan. Wildlife Society Bulletin 44:553-563. 

Riley, S. J., J. VanFossen, J. K. Ford, and T. Lauricella. 2020. A matter of trust: as stakeholder values change, how do wildlife professionals stay relevant?  The Wildlife Professional. January/February:39-42. The Wildlife Society, Washington, D.C.  TWP_14.1_A-Matter-of-Trust_Riley-et-al.pdf

Organ, J. F., D. J. Decker, S. J. Riley, J. E. McDonald, and S. P. Mahoney. 2019. Adaptive management in conservation in Silvy, N., Editor. Wildlife Techniques Manual, 8th Edition. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore, MD, USA.

Current Graduate Students

(Dr. Riley is no longer accepting new graduate students)

• Amber Goguen (PhD)