Meredith Gore

Bio

My research focuses on the human dimensions of global environmental change; it is applied, empirical, field-based, participatory, and transdisciplinary. Today, I am fortunate to conduct research on large science teams and in collaboration with diverse communities, nongovernmental and civil society organizations, and government agency officials. The majority of my scholarship is based on principles of risk and their application to negative impacts from global environmental change. I work to advance knowledge about crimes that affect the environment including wildlife trafficking, illegal fishing, and illegal logging. In particular, I am curious about the socio-environmental causes and consequences of conservation crime and how crime prevention strategies can be designed and implemented for positive socio-environmental benefit. 

I received my PhD in Natural Resource Policy and Management from Cornell University, MA in Environment and Resource Policy from George Washington University, and BA in Anthropology and Environmental Studies from Brandeis University. From 2006-2020, I served on the faculty at Michigan State University. I am a National Academies of Sciences Jefferson Science Fellow and US Department of State Embassy Science Fellow. I serve on the board of the American Geographical Society.

Degrees

  • Natural Resource Policy & Management, Cornell University - PhD

  • Environment & Resource Policy, The George Washington University - MA

  • Anthropology & Environmental Studies, Brandeis University - BA

Areas of Interest

  • Biodiversity Loss
  • Cross-border conflicts
  • Participatory research methods
  • Socio-environmental systems

Research Topics

  • Geospatial Information Science and Remote Sensing
  • Human Dimensions of Global Change - Coupled Human and Natural Systems
  • Rakowski, J. J., Anagnostou, M., Tien, T.D.C., Tien, T.C. Joanny, L., Nguyen, H.T., Slade, J.L., Nguyen, L.V., Xu, E.J., and M. L. Gore. (2026). When coping means breaking the rules: understanding conservation crime through strain. Biological Conservation. 10.1016/j.biocon.2025.111687

  • Xu, E.J., Dat, C.T.T., Xu, X., Rakowski, J.J., Luan, N.V., Joanny, L., Slade, J.L., Herold, T.D., and M.L. Gore. (2025). Using place network investigations to explore neglected places for conservation crimes. iScience. 10.1016/j.isci.2025.114384.

  • Adler, K.A., Gore, M.L., and C.E. Wilkerson. (2025). The gendered costs of human-wildlife conflict: A global systematic review. Ambio. 10.1007/s13280-025-02300-y

  • Murray, H., Gore, M.L. and Dilkina, B. (2025) Encoding and decoding illegal wildlife trade networks reveals key airport characteristics and undetected hotspots. Commun Earth Environ 6, 399. 10.1038/s43247-025-02371-5.

  • Gore, M.L., Hubschle, A., Dabezies, J.M., Munos-Cassolis, N., van Heerden, H., Wolfe, B.A.,Williams, V.L., Curtin, K.M., Kammer-Kerwick, M., and P. Hamming. (2025). Community-based coproduction of knowledge about wildlife trade and anthrax as a high-consequence pathogen. BioScience. 10.1093/biosci/biaf137

  • Munos-Cassolis, N., Xu, E.J., and M.L.Gore. (2025). Descriptor: Decisions on illegal wildlife trade, corruption, and organized crime. IEEE Data Descriptions (2) 370-374. 10.1109/IEEEDATA.2025.3615147.

  • Marshall, B.M., Strine, C.M., Gore, M.L., Eskey, E.A., Stringham, O.C., Cardoso, P., Chekunov, S., Watters, F., Fukushima, C., Garcia-Diaz, P., Sinclair, J.S., Tlusty, M.F., Almeida, R.J., Valdez, J.W., and A.C. Hughes. (2025). Tracing trade: mapping the global dimensions of US wildlife imports. Current Biology. 10.2139/ssrn.5188617

  • Hughes, A., Marshall, B., Alamshah, A., Cardoso, P., Cassey, P., Chekunov, S., ... & Watters, F. (2025). The magnitude of legal wildlife trade and implications for species survival. Proceedings of the National Academies of Sciences, 122 (2) e2410774121.

  • Mbi, T.B.M, Lebga, K.A., and M.L. Gore. (2024). Exploring determinants of nature crimes in the Takamanda National Park at the Cameroon-Nigeria Border. Revue Territories Sud. 9(2): 97-111.

  • Green, A. R., Plowman, C., Mwinyihali, R., Wieland, M., & Gore, M. L. (2024). Women and urban wildmeat trafficking in the Republic of Congo. Biological Conservation, 293, 110587.

  • Hübschle, A., and Gore, M. L. (2024). Lessons in resilience from the illegal wildlife trade during COVID-19 lockdowns. Science of The Total Environment, 916, 170365.

  • Griffin, E. C., Ferber, A., Lafferty, L., Keskin, B. B., Dilkina, B., and Gore, M.L. (2024). Interdiction of wildlife trafficking supply chains: An analytical approach. IISE Transactions, 56(3), 355-373.

  • Keskin, B. B., Griffin, E. C., Prell, J. O., Dilkina, B., Ferber, A., MacDonald, J., ... & Gore, M. L. (2023). Quantitative investigation of wildlife trafficking supply chains: A review. Omega, 115, 102780.

  • Gore, M. L., Hilend, R., Prell, J. O., Griffin, E., Macdonald, J. R., Keskin, B. B., ... & Dilkina, B. (2023). A data directory to facilitate investigations on worldwide wildlife trafficking. Big Earth Data, 7(2), 338-348.

  • Shumilo, L., Skakun, S., Gore, M.L. et al. Conservation policies and management in the Ukrainian Emerald Network have maintained reforestation rate despite the war. Communications Earth Environ 4, 5 443 (2023). 10.1038/ s43247-023-01099-4. 

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Meredith Gore

Meredith Gore
Professor and Research Director

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