Catherine M. Jordan

University of Minnesota

http://environment.umn.edu/staff/cathy-jordan/

Biographical Abstracts

Cathy Jordan, Ph.D., is associate director for leadership and education at the Institute on the Environment and professor of pediatrics at the University of Minnesota. She also serves as the consulting research director for a national nonprofit, the Children and Nature Network. Jordan’s scholarly interests focus on the developmental benefits of connecting children and families to nature. Throughout her career, Jordan has championed the advancement of community-engaged research, incorporated high quality community-engaged participatory practices in her own research, supported and guided engaged scholars in their quest to successfully navigate the traditional norms and scholarship expectations of academic career advancement, and participated actively in promoting community engagement scholarship in practice and policy, not only at the University of Minnesota but throughout the nation.

Jordan earned her B.A. with high honors in psychology from Oberlin College and her Ph.D. in clinical psychology from Wayne State University. She is an inaugural inductee of the Academy of Community Engagement Scholarship and has served on its board of directors. She is the winner of the University of Minnesota’s Outstanding Community Service Award, the Outstanding Partner in Engagement Award, the Department of Pediatrics Child Health Advocacy Award, and the Medical School collegiate recipient of the President’s Community-Engaged Scholar Award.

 

Areas of Expertise

• Human/nature connection
• Nature-based learning
• Sustainability
• Child development
• Positive youth development