Lena Fletcher
NRC Program Director, Manager and Senior Teaching Faculty
Primary Interests
Lena Fletcher’s primary academic interests include forest ecology, old-growth forests, invasive species, and the ways that forest stands change over time. Lena's educational work at UMass includes a focus on innovative student-centered teaching practices, including contemplative pedagogy, team-based pedagogy, project-based learning and civic engagement. Lena has been fostering community partnerships in the local area for over a decade, and through these partnerships she coordinates opportunities for students to have hands-on field experiences as part of their educational path.
Note: Lena does not act as a faculty advisor for graduate students. Her focus is on undergraduate teaching, advising, and NRC program direction and management.
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Bio Sketch
Lena Fletcher is the Program Director for the Natural Resources Conservation (NRC) undergraduate program at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. She splits her time between teaching undergraduate courses and running the NRC program, mentoring NRC students, and supporting innovative teaching practices. Lena has many service roles on campus, including being the Educational Lead for the School of Earth and Sustainability, co-leading the Contemplative Pedagogy Group in the Center for Teaching, being the Lead Faculty Mentor for the NRC program, and running the NRC Peer Mentoring Program.
Current Courses Taught
NRC 100- Environment and Society (4 cr., 2 sections, Fall)
NRC 192A- Introduction to Natural Resources Conservation (1 cr., Fall)
NRC 391A- Career Planning in Natural Resources Conservation (1 cr., Spring)
Education
Bachelors of Arts, Geology, Smith College, 1999
Masters of Forest Ecology, University of Massachusetts, 2010
Office Hours
Mondays 10am-noon find me here on Zoom and Wednesdays 10am-noon find me in-person only 10am-noon in Holdsworth Hall 302a - while classes are in session.