Martha Monroe

  • Martha Monroe

    Professor, University of Florida
  • ee360+ People

Having co-authored 12 books and manuals (including three for NAAEE); published 33 book chapters, 80 peer-reviewed journal articles, and 198 extension fact sheets; and served on 160 graduate student committees in her 20 years at the University of Florida, Dr. Martha Monroe is a prolific leader and contributor for catalyzing environmental education research. Her accomplishments working at the nexus of EE research and practice are as diverse as they are numerous, blending expertise in program evaluation, learning, professional development, and behavior change to help build capacity and empower people to participate in addressing environmental issues.

With firm roots in environmental education and a passion for applying social science to answer sticky questions, Martha studies public perceptions, stakeholder values, and misconceptions to inform the development of messages, materials, programs, and training designed to increase engagement, foster hope, and strengthen capacity. Martha led the development and evaluation of Southeastern Forests and Climate Change, a secondary education module for Project Learning Tree, and its accompanying professional development workshops, training tools, and facilitator kit.

Her long-standing interest in facilitating strategies to engage the public in deliberative democracy was nurtured by her work with the Kettering Foundation’s Environmental Issues Forum activity with NAAEE in the late 1980’s, and she has used that experience to develop a community forum model that led to the approval of a woody biomass power plant in her region, and to develop a state-wide Extension program called Community Voices, Informed Choices (or CIVIC) for short, to lead deliberative and community actions to solve local problems. Martha is a past president and long time champion for NAAEE, and is a hallmark in environmental education research and practice.