Aaron Lien is an Assistant Professor of Rangeland Ecology and Adaptive Management in the School of Natural Resources and the Environment at the University of Arizona. His work is focused on solving emerging environmental governance challenges in coupled natural human systems. He is an environmental social scientist with broad training in theories of human behavior and decision making (Cognitive Hierarchy Theory, Theory of Planned Behavior, Protection Motivation Theory, etc.) and frameworks for analyzing governance institutions (IAD Framework, SES Framework). He also has interdisciplinary training in climate science and rangeland ecology and management.

Dr. Lien uses this unique combination of skills to engage in transdisciplinary work with ecologists, climate scientists, and political scientists that addresses pressing management and governance challenges including biological invasions, climate change induced forest die-off, and endangered species conservation on private lands.