Lauren Ferguson

Lauren Ferguson

Assistant Professor
Office: Recreation Management & Policy, Hewitt Hall, Durham, NH 03824
Websites:

<p>Lauren Abbott Ferguson, PhD, is an Assistant Professor at University of New Hampshire’s Department of Recreation Management and Policy. Their interdisciplinary social science research explores how ecosystem services—such as natural soundscapes, and outdoor recreation influence conservation decision-making that enhances opportunities for human well-being, with funding from the New Hampshire Agricultural Experiment Station, the National Park Service, and Leave No Trace. They have built a fundable, interdisciplinary, and applied research program that directly informs policies and practices to protect natural environments, enhance recreational experiences, and promote public well-being. By bridging social science research with applied conservation management, their work directly informs policies and practices that protect natural environments, enhance recreational experiences, and promote public well-being.</p>

Courses Taught

  • LAP 501: Life Act Prog/Fly Fishing
  • RMP 511: Iss Wilderness Nature Amer Soc
  • RMP 559: Program and Event Marketing
  • RMP 700H: Senior Honors Project
  • RMP 724: Research and Evaluation
  • RMP 724/824: Research and Evaluation
  • RMP 772/872: Law&Public Policy Leisure Svcs
  • RMP 776/876: Human Dimensions of Nature
  • RMP 824: Research and Evaluation
  • RMP 970: Teaching Practicum
  • RMP 980: Independent Study

Education

  • Ph.D., Recreation, Park & Tourism Management, Pennsylvania State University
  • M.S., Recreation, Park, & Tourism Management, Pennsylvania State University
  • B.S., Natural Resource Recreation & Tourism, Colorado State University

Research Interests

  • Acoustics
  • Ecosystems
  • Environmental Health
  • Natural Resources Management
  • Parks & Recreation Management

Selected Publications

  • Powers, S. L., Ferguson, L. A., Ferguson, M. D., Aytur, S., Gorman, M. B., Bennett, J. L., & Feldbaum, E. (2025). Fostering equity: How welcomeness, safety, and representation influence visitor coping and intention-to-return to parks and protected areas. Journal of Outdoor Recreation and Tourism, 50, 100868. doi:10.1016/j.jort.2025.100868

  • Ferguson, L. A., Ferguson, M. D., Rodrigues, K., Evensen, D., Caraynoff, A. R., Persson, K., . . . Eisenhaure, S. (2024). The role of health and wellbeing in shaping local park experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic. Journal of Outdoor Recreation and Tourism, 46, 100739. doi:10.1016/j.jort.2024.100739

  • Smith, M., Ferguson, M., Ferguson, L., Contosta, A., Burakowski, E., Levine, D., & Rogers, S. (2024). From a Shorter Winter Season to More Storm Damage: New Hampshire Outdoor Recreation Providers Feel Climate Impacts Far More than Visitors. https://scholars.unh.edu/carsey/484/: Carsey School of Public Polic. Retrieved from https://scholars.unh.edu/carsey/484/

  • Ferguson, L. A., Taff, B. D., Blanford, J. I., Mennitt, D. J., Mowen, A. J., Levenhagen, M., . . . Newman, P. (2024). Understanding park visitors' soundscape perception using subjective and objective measurement.. PeerJ, 12, e16592. doi:10.7717/peerj.16592

  • Ferguson, L. A., Newman, P., McKenna, M. F., Betchkal, D. H., Miller, Z. D., Keller, R., . . . Taff, B. D. (2023). How much noise is too much? Methods for identifying thresholds for soundscape quality and ecosystem services. Applied Acoustics, 209, 109388. doi:10.1016/j.apacoust.2023.109388

  • Ferraro, D. M., Miller, Z. D., Ferguson, L. A., Taff, B. D., Barber, J. R., Newman, P., & Francis, C. D. (2020). The phantom chorus: birdsong boosts human well-being in protected areas. PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES, 287(1941). doi:10.1098/rspb.2020.1811

  • Ferguson, M. D., Lynch, M. L., Miller, Z. D., Ferguson, L. A., & Newman, P. (2020). What do outdoor recreationists think of fracking? Politics, ideology, and perceptions of shale gas energy development in Pennsylvania State Forests. ENERGY RESEARCH & SOCIAL SCIENCE, 62. doi:10.1016/j.erss.2019.101384

  • Miller, Z. D., Ferguson, L. A., Newman, P., Ferguson, M., Tipton, N., Sparrow, V., & Taff, B. D. (2020). Developing visitor thresholds of sound from shale natural gas compressors for motorized and non-motorized recreation users in Pennsylvania State Forests. APPLIED ACOUSTICS, 157. doi:10.1016/j.apacoust.2019.107012

  • Francis, C. D., Newman, P., Taff, B. D., White, C., Monz, C. A., Levenhagen, M., . . . Barber, J. R. (2017). Acoustic environments matter: Synergistic benefits to humans and ecological communities.. J Environ Manage, 203(Pt 1), 245-254. doi:10.1016/j.jenvman.2017.07.041

  • Abbott, L. C., Taff, D., Newman, P., Benfield, J. A., & Mowen, A. J. (2016). The Influence of Natural Sounds on Attention Restoration. Journal of Park and Recreation Administration, 34(3). doi:10.18666/jpra-2016-v34-i3-6893

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  • Most Cited Publications