Matthew Houser
Matthew Houser
Department of Sociology, Michigan State UniversityPhD Candidate
466 Berkey Hall
East Lansing, MI 48824
EDUCATION
2018Ph.D.Michigan State University, Sociology (expected)
2015 M.A. Michigan State University, Sociology
2013B.A. The Pennsylvania State University, Interdisciplinary Studies
Dissertation
Nitrogen fertilizer management in the context of the Midwestern corn agro-ecological system: an environmental sociological analysis
Committee: Sandra Marquart-Pyatt (Chair), Diana Stuart, Aaron McCright, Wynne Wright, Scott Swinton
RESEARCH INTERESTS
Environmental Sociology / Coupled Systems / AgricultureSocial-Psychology / Environmental Change / Power/Political Ecology
REFEREED PUBLICATIONS (* denotes equal contributions)
Stuart, Diana & Matthew Houser (In Press). Producing compliant polluters: seed companies and nitrogen fertilizer application in US corn agriculture. Rural Sociology
Stuart, Diana, Riva Denny*, Matthew Houser*, Adam Reimer* & Sandra Marquart-Pyatt (2018). Farmers’ selection of sources of information for nitrogen management in the US Midwest: implications for environmental programs. Land-Use Policy 70, 289-297
Houser, Matthew, Diana Stuart Michael Carolan (2017). Is seeing believing? Applying a realist framework to examine agriculture and climate change.Environmental Sociology3(4), 321-336
Houser, Matthew (2016). Who framed climate change? Identifying the how and why of Iowa corn farmers’ framing of climate change.SociologiaRuralis
MANUSCRIPTS UNDER REVIEW
Houser, Matthew Diana Stuart (Revise and Resubmit). Exploring social attractors: what reinforces the resilience of inefficient nitrogen fertilizer application?Ecology and Society
Reimer, Adam, Matthew Houser Sandra Marquart-Pyatt(Revise and Resubmit).Farming decisions in a complex and uncertain world: nitrogen management in Midwestern corn agriculture.Journal of Rural Studies
Houser, Matthew, Riva Denny, Adam Reimer, Sandra Marquart-Pyatt & Diana Stuart.Strategies to enhance University Extension’s role as an agricultural information source.Journal of Extension
Houser, Matthew, Sandra Marquart-Pyatt, Riva Denny, Adam Reimer & Diana Stuart. Farmers, information, and nutrient management in the US Midwest. Journal of Rural Studies
MANUSCRIPTS IN PREPARATION
Denny, Riva, Matthew Houser & Sandra Marquart-Pyatt. Conservation practice adoption of Midwestern US corn farmers. Society and Natural Resources
Houser, Matthew. How the political economy of agriculture is influencing farmers’ reactions to biophysical climate change.Agriculture and Human Values
Houser, Matthew. Over application of nitrogen fertilizer as a non-issue: using Lukes to explore inaction in corn farmers’ nitrogen management. Rural Sociology
Houser, Matthew. Moving beyond “climate change”: insights toward encouraging pro-climate views among rural conservatives. Climatic Change
GRANTS, AWARDS, ENDOWMENTS AND FELLOWSHIPS
2018Landscape simplification and the drivers of Midwestern farm size increases, Kellogg Biological Station Long-Term Ecological Research Program Research Experiences for Undergraduates Program (Declined)
2017A comparative analysis of Michigan farmers’ and the general public’s climate change views, Michigan State University Institute for Public Policy’s Social Research’s State of the State Survey Award for Doctoral Students ($14,000)
2017Farmer fertilizer use and climate change: a social-ecological systems approach, Kellogg Biological Station Long-Term Ecological Research Program Summer Research Fellowship for Long-term Ecological Research ($7,000)
2017Reacting to biophysical climate change: Michigan corn farmers’ beliefs, perceptions and actual nitrogen fertilizer use, Charles P. and Linda A. Thompson Endowment ($4,400)
2017Graduate Office Fellowship Award, Michigan State University ($4,400)
2016Department of Sociology Teaching Workshop Instructor Award ($1,100)
2016 Graduate Office Fellowship Award, Michigan State University ($2,200)
2015Graduate Office Fellowship Award, Michigan State University ($740)
2014Rural Sociological Association Sociology of Agriculture and Food Research Interest Group Outstanding Student Paper Award
2014Conference Travel Funding, Michigan State University ($350)
RESEARCH EXPERIENCE
2017-Present Co-Investigator, Reacting to biophysical climate change: Michigan corn farmers’ beliefs, perceptions and actual nitrogen fertilizer use,Kellogg Biological Station and College of Social Sciences, Michigan State University(PI: Sandra Marqaurt-Pyatt)
*Designed mail and internet survey and gathered biophysical climate data to investigate influence of climate change experiences on beliefs and behaviors of Michigan farmers.
2017-Present Co-Investigator, A comparative analysis of Michigan farmers’ and the general public’s climate change views,Department of Sociology, Michigan State University (PI: Sandra Marqaurt-Pyatt)
*Designed phone survey to investigate the Michigan general public’s climate change beliefs and experience with biophysical climate.
2017-Present Research Assistant, Kellogg Biological Station Long Term Ecological Research Midwestern row crop survey, Kellogg Biological Station, Michigan State University (PIs: Sandra Marquart-Pyattand Scott Swinton)
*Participated in mail survey and codebook design and conducted surveypre-test focus groups; data analysis in progress.
2014- 2017 Research Assistant, A social-ecological analysis of nitrogen in agricultural systems of the upper Midwest, Kellogg Biological Station and Department of Sociology, Michigan State University (PI: Diana Stuart)
*Participated in survey and interview guide design; initiated and conducted focus groups and one-on-one in-person interviews with >60 farmers; transcribed, coded and analyzed qualitative and quantitative data.
2016Research Assistant, Structural equation models for social-ecological systems analysis,Department of Sociology, Michigan State University (PI: SandraMarquart-Pyatt)
*Conducted literature review of Structural Equation Modelling use in social-ecological systems literature.
2015Research Assistant,Training the next generation of environmental scientists: a systems approach to understanding human-impacted landscapes, Kellogg Biological Station and Department of Sociology, Michigan State University (PIs: Jennifer Lau and SandraMarquart-Pyatt)
*Developed survey instrument, conducted interviews and analyzed data; contributed to National Science Foundation grant proposal.
SELECTED PRESENTATIONS
Beyond “climate change”: insights toward farmers’ development of pro-climate
attitudes.
2017Michigan State University Sociology Department Speaker Series. East Lansing, December
Is seeing believing? applying a realist framework to examine agriculture and climate change.
2017Rural Sociological Society Annual Meeting.Columbus, July
2017 Michigan State University Sociology Department Environmental Graduate Student Showcase, East Lansing, April
Who framed climate change? Identifying the how and why of Iowa corn farmers’ framing of climate change.
2016 American Sociological Association Annual Meeting. Seattle, August
2015 Environmental Science and Policy Program Research Symposium. East Lansing, October
Agriculture, resilience, and greenhouse gas emissions: exploring the persistence of corn farmers’ inefficient nitrogen fertilizer use.
2016 International Association of Society and Natural Resources. Houghton, June
Social attractors in agro-ecological systems: an enhanced perspective on the resilience of nitrogen fertilizer pollution.
2015 American Sociological Association Annual Meeting. Chicago, August
Local food, universal values: assessing local food purchasing using Value Beliefs Norms Theory.
2014 The Rural Sociological Society Conference. New Orleans, August
RELEVANT WORK EXPERIENCE
2015Consultant, Office of Campus Sustainability, Michigan State University
*Advised on research methods related to developing an Energy Transition Plan.
2012- 2013Dialogue Facilitation Consultant, World in Conversation, The Pennsylvania State University
*Provided consultation on facilitation skills to facilitators; assisted in designing and delivering educational material for facilitators.
2011- 2013Dialogue Facilitator, World in Conversation, The Pennsylvania State University
*Facilitated more than400 dialogues on the issues of race, gender, the Middle East and deviant behavior; Received training and experience in dialogue facilitation skills, conflict resolution strategies and sexual assault counseling.
TEACHING EXPERIENCE
2013Co-Instructor, Advanced Dialogue Facilitation, Department of Sociology, The Pennsylvania State University (Co-Instructor: Laurie Mulvey)
*Co-Instructed 2-hour long class sessions 1 day per week
SERVICE ACTIVITIES
Professional
Reviewer, Journal of Rural Studies
Environmental Sociology
International Journal of Sociology
Institutional
2016Co-Creator/Co-Leader,The New Cohort Orientation Workshop,Department of Sociology, Michigan State University, August 20-22
2015-2016Member, Department of Sociology Graduate Education Committee, Michigan State University
2013-2014Member, Department of Sociology Advisory Committee, Michigan State University
METHODS TRAINING
ICPSR Summer Program in Quantitative Methods, University of Michigan
Longitudinal Data Modeling, Including Categorical Outcomes
Department of Sociology, Michigan State University
Structural Equation Modeling
Multi-Level Modeling
Categorical Regression
Linear Regression
Department of Geography, Michigan State University
Geographical Information Systems (in progress)
Software Proficiencies
STATAAMOS
SAS SPSS
LISRELHLM7
NVivo
PROFESSION MEMBERSHIPS
2014-Present American Sociological Association
2013-PresentRural Sociological Society
REFERENCES
Sandra Marqaurt-Pyatt
Professor
Department of Sociology
Environmental Science and Policy Program
509 E. Circle Drive, Room 316 Berkey Hall
Michigan State University
East Lansing, MI 48824
Email:
Phone: 517-353-0745
Diana Stuart
Assistant Professor
Department of Earth Science and Environmental Sustainability
Blg SBS West Blg 70 Room 274
Northern Arizona University
Flagstaff, AZ 86011
Email:
Phone: 928-523-0736
Aaron McCright
Professor
Lyman Briggs College
Department of Sociology
Associate Chair of Sociology
919 East Shaw Lane, Room E-35 Holmes Hall
Michigan State University
East Lansing, MI 48825
Email:
Phone: 517-432-8026
Wynne Wright
Associate Professor
Department of Sociology
Graduate Program Director of Sociology
Coordinator, Gender, Justice and Environmental Change Specialization
Department of Community Sustainability
509 E. Circle Drive, Room 408A Berkey Hall
Michigan State University
East Lansing, MI 48824
Email:
Phone: 517-353-4760