D.G. Webster

|Associate Professor
Academic Appointments

Associate Professor of Environmental Studies

D.G. Webster is an associate professor in the Environmental Studies Department at Dartmouth. Her research focuses on the precursors to governance, or the processes that social-ecological systems have to go through to be ready to design and implement effective environmental policies. She is author of two books, multiple peer reviewed articles, and a number of successful interdisciplinary research proposals. She also serves as editor of the journal Global Environmental Politics and contributes to her field through service to the Environmental Studies Section of the International Studies Association and the Ocean Taskforce of the Earth Systems Governance Project. She was awarded the Fulbright Distinguished Fellowship in Oceans Governance at the University of Sao Paulo, Brazil for 2024-2025.

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Contact

Fairchild, Room 104
HB 6182

Department(s)

Environmental Studies

Education

  • B.A. Connecticut College
  • M.A. University of Southern California
  • Ph.D. University of Southern California

Selected Publications

  • Books

    Webster, D.G. 2015. Beyond the Tragedy: Evolution and Sustainability in Global Fisheries Governance. Cambridge, MA: The MIT Press. https://direct.mit.edu/glep/article/16/4/138/14873/Webster-D-G-2015-Beyo...

    Webster, DG. 2009. Adaptive Governance: The Dynamics of Atlantic Fisheries Management. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press. 391 p. 

  • Peer Reviewed Articles/Book Chapters

    Bitterman, Patrick and D.G. Webster. 2024. The Collaborative Policy Modeling Paradox: Perceptions of Water Quality Modeling in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed. Socio-Environmental Systems Modeling, Special Issue: SES Modeling in Regulatory Contexts. 6: 18677. https://sesmo.org/article/view/18677.

  • Webster, D.G., Mark Axelrod, and Semra Aytur. 2023. Turbulence and transition to healthy governance. In Dauvergn, Peter and Leah Shipton, eds. Global Environmental Politics in a Turbulent Era. London: EE Publishing.

  • Gonçalves, Leandra R., Candace K. May, and D.G. Webster. 2022. The Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development: What is at Stake? Introduction to the Special Issue: Science for Ocean Sustainability. Earth System Governance Journal. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2589811622000246

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Speaking Engagements

  • Webster, D.G. 2024. Plenary Panel Discussion: Advances in Coupled Natural and Human Systems Research, Understanding and Applications. Invited Panelist. Chesapeake Community Research Symposium. June 9-12, Annapolis, MD.

  • Webster, D.G. 2024. Media Representations of Risks and and Co-benefits of Water Quality Governance in the Chesapeake Watershed. Chesapeake Community Research Symposium. June 9-12, Annapolis, MD.

  • Webster, D.G. 2024. The High Seas Treaty. Guest Lecture, Great Decisions Seminar, Osher Lifelong Learning Institute, Dartmouth College, May 21.

  • Webster, D.G. 2024. Nutrient Management in the Chesapeake Watershed: Challenges and Opportunities. Invited Talk. Environmental Studies Seminar Series, University of California, Santa Cruz. April 8.

  • Webster, D.G. 2024. Roundtable: Blue carbon, blue justice, and blue extraction: The politics and contradictions of deep sea mining. Panelist. International Studies Association Annual Meeting, San Francisco, CA, April 3-7.

Works In Progress

  • Webster, D.G. Precursors to Governance: Reconciling the Environment and Social Justice. (book project)

  • Gonçalves, Leandra R., D.G. Webster, Natalia M. Grilli, Carla I. Elliff, Vitoria M. Scrich, Giovanna S. R. Lopes, and Alexander Turra. In press. Against the clock to address plastic pollution: critical challenges to elaborate a comprehensive and ambitious Plastics Treaty. Cambridge Prisms: Plastics.

Selected Works & Activities

  • Editorial Service

    Global Environmental Politics: Editor (2022-date), Associate Editor (2016-2022), Editorial Board (2013-2016)

    Environmental Politics: Editorial Board (2021-date)

    Earth Systems Governance Journal: Editorial Board (2021-date)

    Guest Editor: 

    2021-2022 Special Feature: Science for Ocean Sustainability. Earth Systems Governance. https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/earth-system-governance/special-is...

    2015-2018 Special feature Envisioning Sustainable Transitions. Elementa: Sustainability Traditions https://online.ucpress.edu/elementa/collection/246/Special-Feature-Envis...

    2013-2015 Special Issue International Fisheries: Journal of Environmental Studies and Sciences

  • Environmental Studies Section of the International Studies Association

    Chair (2013-2015, 2022-23)

    Program Chair (2011-2013)

    Execuitve Committee (2016-2018)

International Activities

2024-2025 Fulbright Distinguished Scholar in Oceans Governance, Sao Paulo, Brazil

ContributorInternational Science Council. 2023. Policy Brief: Global Sea-Level Rise. Prepared for the UN https://council.science/publications/policy-brief-global-sea-level-rise/

PanelistUN Oceans Conference, 2022, Lisbon, Portugal

Earth Systems Governance Project

2021-date Member of the Scientific Steering Committee

2017-date Lead Research Fellow, Co-Lead Oceans Taskforce (http://www.earthsystemgovernance.net/oceans/?page_id=95)

2017-date Senior Research Fellow

2016-2017 Research Fellow