Dr. Suraj joined the School of Agriculture, Communities, and the Environment at Kentucky State University (KYSU) in August 2023 as an Assistant Professor of Sustainable Systems. At KYSU, Dr. Suraj conducts research and teaches in the areas of socio-ecological sustainable systems and the human dimensions of natural resource management. Prior to joining KYSU, Dr. Suraj completed his postdoctoral training at Iowa State University. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Forestry from the Institute of Forestry, Tribhuvan University, Nepal, a Master of Science in Forestry from the University of Kentucky, and a Ph.D. from the University of Georgia in Integrative Conservation of Nature and Forestry. His doctoral and postdoctoral research have equipped him to integrate theories from social and natural sciences, employing intensive fieldwork alongside complex modeling approaches to produce comprehensive research on environmental sustainability.
Dr. Suraj’s academic and professional goals are: (1) to work on the interface of social and natural sciences to explore the dynamic relationship between natural resources and people; (2) to ensure the sustainability of natural resources in developed and developing countries; and (3) to channelize his research to benefit society and nature. He believes that emerging challenges associated with environmental changes on multiple scales transcend disciplinary boundaries, demanding interdisciplinary approaches to enhance our comprehension of social-ecological dimensions. His expertise lies in sustainable natural resource management, ecosystem services, natural resource management and policy, land-use change modeling, water resource conservation, and management, and social-ecological systems (SES), all coupled with experience in human dimensions and the sustainability of natural resources. For his future research, he would like to continue examining the human dimension of natural resources but do so through interdisciplinary lenses. He aims to understand the dynamic relationship between society and natural resources and achieve sustainability.
Dr. Suraj’s scholarly work has been published in top-tier journals, including Land Use Policy, Agricultural Systems, Climatic Change, Human Ecology, and Environmental Management.
Research Description
Research is an integral part of my educational experience and academic career goals. The three main goals of my research programs are to work on the interface of social and natural sciences to explore the dynamic relationship between natural resources and people; ensure the sustainability of natural resources in developed and developing countries; and to channelize my research to benefit society and nature.
In general, I am interested in exploring and problem-solving issues related to resource management and sustainable utilization for human welfare. My research interests lie in human dimensions, economics, social sciences, socio-ecological systems, application of GIS and remote sensing, land use and cover change analysis, landscape ecology, and qualitative and quantitative methods to investigate current and emerging conservation topics related to natural resources management and society. My research brings an interdisciplinary approach to the study of human-nature interactions.
“The most exciting change I see is land-use combined with community and conservation-friendly solutions that allow us to be productive and rejuvenate areas where we see bounties of biodiversity.”
My dissertation addresses the relationship between deforestation and agricultural expansion in the southeast USA. My research follows an integrative approach focusing on the following aspects: assessing land rent of yellow pine species grown in coastal Georgia relative to blueberries in the presence and absence of market and climate risks, understanding the perceptions of private landowners to know their decision-making framework while selecting blueberries over yellow pine species, understanding the historical land-use changes in a watershed and project the same for the future, and determining the impact of land-use changes, specifically deforestation on the ecosystem services in the selected watershed.
Currently, I work on Consortium for Cultivating Human And Naturally reGenerative Enterprises (C-CHANGE), research projects funded by Iowa State University Presidential Integrative Research Initiatives (ISUPIRI) on understanding the relationship between conservation practices used by landowners and social, behavioral, and ecological characteristics. I am using social-ecological system analysis framework to tackle these objectives.