Eleanor J. Sterling’s wide ranging contributions to science
Tracks
Tully 3
| Wednesday, July 29, 2026 |
| 1:45 PM - 2:00 PM |
Speaker
Dr Rachel Dacks
Assistant Professor
University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa
Eleanor J. Sterling’s wide ranging contributions to science
ISE Congress 2026 Abstract
*I am submitting the talk for the session titled "Eleanor J. Sterling, a weaver of connections."
In this talk, we highlight the numerous contributions to science made by the late Dr. Eleanor Sterling over her career. Eleanor’s wide ranging scholarship was due, in part, to her interdisciplinary training in Psychology, Biology, Anthropology, and Forestry & Environmental Studies – an unprecedented combination at the time of her doctoral studies at Yale. Eleanor published over 200 publications during her lifetime, across the fields of primatology, marine biology, anthropology, food systems, conservation, evaluation, and education. She was a devoted mentor of the next generation of conservation scientists and a champion for equity and inclusion. She applied her training in the biological and social sciences to advance the conservation of biodiversity and well-being of diverse communities across the globe, including North and South America, Africa, Asia, and Oceania. She was a leader in using biocultural approaches to conservation, working closely with communities to understand their priorities and uplift their ways of knowing. In this presentation, we will share stories from several of Eleanor’s colleagues in an effort to showcase the breadth and depth of her scholarly work.
In this talk, we highlight the numerous contributions to science made by the late Dr. Eleanor Sterling over her career. Eleanor’s wide ranging scholarship was due, in part, to her interdisciplinary training in Psychology, Biology, Anthropology, and Forestry & Environmental Studies – an unprecedented combination at the time of her doctoral studies at Yale. Eleanor published over 200 publications during her lifetime, across the fields of primatology, marine biology, anthropology, food systems, conservation, evaluation, and education. She was a devoted mentor of the next generation of conservation scientists and a champion for equity and inclusion. She applied her training in the biological and social sciences to advance the conservation of biodiversity and well-being of diverse communities across the globe, including North and South America, Africa, Asia, and Oceania. She was a leader in using biocultural approaches to conservation, working closely with communities to understand their priorities and uplift their ways of knowing. In this presentation, we will share stories from several of Eleanor’s colleagues in an effort to showcase the breadth and depth of her scholarly work.
Biography
Rachel Dacks is an Assistant Professor at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa. Her research focuses on using qualitative and quantitative methods to better understand complex human dimensions of natural resource management across the Pacific Islands region. She is specifically interested in how monitoring and evaluation of conservation and resource management interventions can be guided by biocultural approaches, in order to reflect the wellbeing of the entire system.
