William Elmendorf

William Elmendorf, Ph.D., serves as Professor and Ibberson Chair in Community and Urban Forestry in the Department of Ecosystem Science and Management at The Pennsylvania State University. He holds a B.S. (1980) and M.B.A. (1986) from the University of Montana and a Ph.D. (2002) from Penn State. Over two decades, Elmendorf has led Penn State Extension's Urban Forestry Program, delivering technical assistance to municipalities, government agencies, and volunteer organizations on urban forest management, public tree maintenance, green infrastructure for stormwater management, and land-use planning and regulatory policy. In 2017, he was appointed the first holder of the Joseph E. Ibberson Chair in Urban and Community Forestry, endowed to advance instruction, research, and public service in the field.

Elmendorf's research interests encompass the use of land-use planning and regulatory policy to conserve green infrastructure during community development, public landscape preferences and behaviors, and community forest planning and management. He has contributed extensively to scholarship through chapters such as those in "Changing Landscapes: A Natural Resource Curriculum for Natural Resource Professionals" (USDA Forest Service, 2014), "TreeVitalize: Guide for Tree Selection, Planting, and Care" (2019), and "Forest-water Interactions" (Springer, 2019); journal articles including "Participation and Conflict: Lessons Learned From Community Forestry" (Journal of Forestry, 2005), "Urban Forestry Practices and Sustainability: Contrasting a Pennsylvania Study" (Journal of Arboriculture, 2003), and "The Importance of Trees and Nature in Community: A Review of the Relevant Literature" (Arboriculture & Urban Forestry, 2008); and edited volumes like "Partnerships for Empowerment: Participatory Research for Community-based Natural Resource Management" (Earthscan, 2008). His extension publications include "A Guide for Municipal Tree Commissions" (1996), "Planting and Aftercare of Community Trees" (2020), and "Pruning Landscape Trees" (2020). Elmendorf chairs the Penn State University Tree Commission, co-directs the Human Dimensions of Natural Resources and the Environment Intercollege Program, serves on various committees, and acts as associate editor for Arboriculture and Urban Forestry. He has taught graduate and undergraduate courses, led student projects on municipal street-tree inventories in multiple Pennsylvania communities, and served as principal investigator for two Pennsylvania Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plans. Previously, he was president of the Penn-Del Chapter of the International Society of Arboriculture and chair of the State College Tree Commission.

Professional Email: wfe1@psu.edu