Ashley Dayer
Virginia Tech
Cheatham Hall, Room 108
310 West Campus Dr
Blacksburg, VA 24061
- Office Phone: 540-231-8847
B.A., Harvard University (2001)
M.S., Colorado State University (2006)
Ph.D., Cornell University (2013)
RESEARCH INTERESTS
Dr. Ashley Dayer (she/her) is an Associate Professor of Human Dimensions in the Department of Fish and Wildlife Conservation at Virginia Tech and is a Global Change Center affiliated faculty member. Her research program focuses on social science applied to wildlife, particularly bird, conservation. She is interested in how and why people impact wildlife and their conservation and, in turn, how wildlife impact human emotions and well-being. Her research spans from working and coastal lands to residential landscapes, studying ag producers, private landowners, beach and wildlife recreationists, and consumers. Much of her research focuses on marginalized and under-represented communities such as disabled wildlife viewers and Black, indigenous and people of color.
Dr. Dayer is actively engaged in bird conservation, serving on Road to Recovery of North America’s Birds leadership team. Additionally, her Lab is home to the National Bird Conservation Social Science Coordinator – a partner-sponsored position to serve the bird conservation community in meaningful integration of social science. She is also an Elective Member of the American Ornithological Society. During her research leave in 2022-2023 she served as the first Social Science Advisor for National Audubon Society.
Dr. Dayer’s educational background includes a BA with Honors in Environmental Science and Public Policy from Harvard University (2001) and an MS in Human Dimensions of Natural Resources from Colorado State University (2006), studying the wildlife values of the Western public. She additionally received a certificate in Nonprofit Management (2008) from Southern Oregon University. Dr. Dayer completed her PhD at Cornell University (2013) and post-doc at Cornell Lab of Ornithology (2013-2015). She was a Visiting Assistant Professor at State University of New York – Environmental Science & Forestry before coming to Virginia Tech.
- New research finds ranchers consider diverse factors in managing their land
- Personal outreach to landowners is vital to conservation program success
- Researchers study people who feed birds in their backyards with implications for bird conservation
- Future of coastal marshes lies in the hands of private property owners
- Research calls for enhancing long-term benefits of Farm Bill programs
- Future of coastal marshes lies in the hands of private property owners
- Research on the Media Portrayal of Piping Plovers
- Fralin Explorer Spring 2017: Coffee Break with a Scientist
- FiW 4464/5464 Human Dimensions of Fisheries and Wildlife
- A Study of and Strategy for Engaging Wildlife Recreationists in Virginia.
- Social Marketing to Reduce the Threat of Human Disturbance on Atlantic Flyway Shorebirds.
- Best Management Practices for Evaluating and Managing Anthropogenic Disturbances to Migrating Shorebirds on Coastal Lands in the Northeastern United States.
- The Effects of Signing a "Be A Good Egg" Pledge on Beach Recreationists' Behavior & Attitudes Related to Shorebirds.
- Flagship or Shipwreck? Assessing the Potential of Monteiro's Hornbill (Tockus monteiri) for Flagship Species Status in Namibian Conservation.
- Landowners and the Conservation Reserve Program: Understanding Motivations and Needs to Cultivate Participation, Retention, and Ongoing Stewardship Behaviors.
- The Human Dimensions of Conserving Working Wet Meadow Habitats in Sage Steppe Landscapes.
- Landowner Response to NRCS Conservation Programs Targeting Early Successional Habitat: Attitudes, Satisfaction, Retention, and Intentions to Manage Habitat in the Future.
- Dayer, A.A., Lutter, S.H., Sesser, K., Hickey, C., & Gardali, T. (2017). Private landowner conservation behavior following participation in voluntary incentive programs: Recommendations to facilitate behavioral persistence. Conservation Letters.
- Field, C.R., Dayer, A.A., & Elphick, C. (2017). Landowner behavior can determine the success of conservation strategies for ecosystem migration under sea-level rise. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
- Dayer, A.A., Williams, A., Cosbar, E.A., & Racey, M. (2017). Blaming threatened species: Media portrayal of human-wildlife conflict. Oryx.
- Sullivan, B.E., Phillips, T., Dayer, A.A., Wood, C.L., Farnsworth, A., Illiff, M.J., Davies, I.J., Wiggins, A., Fink, D., Hochachka, W., Rodewald, A.D., Rosenberg, K.V., Bonney, R., & Kelling, S. (2017). Using open access observational data for conservation action: A case study for birds. Biological Conservation, 208, 5-14.
- Dayer, A.A., Rodewald, A.R., Stedman, R.C., Cosbar, E.A, & Wood, E.M. (2016). Wildlife conservation and land trusts: The discrepancy between mission statement content analysis and perceptions of land trusts. Environmental Management, 58(2): 359-364.
- Dayer, A.A., Bright, A.D., Teel, T.L., Manfredo, M.J. (2016). The impact of wildlife species characteristics on public preferences for conservation funding: A stated choice approach. Human Dimensions of Wildlife, 21(5), 379-390.
- Dayer, A.A., Stedman, R.C., Allred, S.B., Rosenberg, K.V., & Fuller, A.R. (2015). The social psychology of landowner behavior: Understanding intentions to create early successional forest habitat. Wildlife Society Bulletin, 40 (1), 59-68.
- Cooper, C., Larson, L., Dayer, A.A., Stedman, R.C., & Decker, D. (2015). Are wildlife recreationists conservationists? Linking birdwatching, hunting, and pro-environmental behavior. The Journal of Wildlife Management, 79(3), 446-457.
- Dayer, A.A., Stedman, R.C., & Allred, S.B. (2014). A comparative analysis and assessment of forest landowner typologies based on behaviors, motivations, and cognitions. Society & Natural Resources, 27(11), 1200-1212.
- Dayer, A.A., Allred, S.B., & Stedman, R.C. (2014). Developing tools to encourage private forest landowner participation in early successional forest habitat management. Human Dimensions of Wildlife, 19(4), 355-370.
- Dayer, A.A., Stinchfield, H.M., & Manfredo, M.J. (2007). Stories about wildlife: Developing an instrument for identifying wildlife value orientations cross-culturally. Human Dimensions of Wildlife, 12(5), 307-315.
- Manfredo, M.J. & Dayer, A.A. (2004). Concepts for exploring the social aspects of human-wildlife conflict in a global context. Human Dimensions of Wildlife, 9(4), 317-328.