Peter Howe
S.J. & Jessie E. Quinney College of Agriculture & Natural Resources | Environment and Society
Associate Dean for Strategic Academic Initiatives

Contact Information
Office Hours: By AppointmentOffice Location: NR 218
Phone: (435) 797-9457
Email: peter.howe@usu.edu
Additional Information:
Educational Background
Biography
Peter D. Howe is the Associate Dean for Strategic Academic Initiatives in the S.J. and Jessie E. Quinney College of Agriculture and Natural Resources and a Professor of Geography in the Department of Environment and Society. Dr. Howe is a human-environment geographer and environmental social scientist whose research focuses on public perceptions of climate change and environmental risks, using large-scale social surveys, geospatial analysis, statistical modeling, and geovisualization.
Teaching Interests
GIS, geospatial analysis, natural hazards, human-environment geography
Research Interests
human dimensions of global change, risk perception, climate change vulnerability and adaptation, natural hazards, spatial analysis, survey methods, GIS, multilevel modeling, geovisualization
Awards
Faculty Researcher of the Year, 2019
S.J. and Jessie E. Quinney College of Natural Resources
Warren J. Mitofsky Innovators Award co-recipient, 2018
American Association for Public Opinion Research
Fellow, Enabling the Next Generation of Hazards & Disasters Researchers Fellowship Program, 2014
National Science Foundation
Selected participant, DISCCRS VIII Symposium, 2013
Dissertations Initiative for the Advancement of Climate Change Research, National Science Foundation
Finalist, J. Warren Nystrom Award, 2013
Association of American Geographers
- Howe, P., Olson-Hazboun, S., (2018). Public Opinion on Climate Change in the United States: Trends, Factors, and Implications for Rural America: Approaches to Address Climate Change at the Local Level. Routledge
Publications | Book Chapters
An asterisk (*) at the end of a publication indicates that it has not been peer-reviewed.
Publications | Fact Sheets
- Hotaling, S., Becker, K.M, Narine, L.K, Schad, J., McCann, R.B, Howe, P., (2024). What do Utahns think about global warming and climate change?.
An asterisk (*) at the end of a publication indicates that it has not been peer-reviewed.
Publications | Journal Articles
Academic Journal
- Cook, F., Howe, P., (2024). Geographic Variation in Household Disaster Preparedness in the United States. Annals of the American Association of Geographers
- Howe, P., (2024). American perceptions and attitudes about domestic climate migrants and migration.. Weather, Climate & Society, 16:1, 67-86. doi: 10.1175/WCAS-D-23-0020.1
- Howe, P., (2023). Small-area estimations from survey data for high-resolution maps of urban flood risk perception and evacuation behavior. Annals of the American Association of Geographers, 113:2
- Zhang, H., Van Berkel, D., Howe, P., Miller, Z., Smith, J., (2021). Using social media to measure and map visitation to public lands in Utah. Applied Geography, 128, 102389.
- Marlon, J., van der Linden, S., Howe, P., Leiserowitz, A., Woo, S., Broad, K., (2018). Detecting local environmental change: the role of experience in shaping risk judgments about global warming. Global Environmental Change
- Howe, P., (2018). Modeling geographic variation in disaster preparedness across U.S. states and metropolitan areas. The Professional Geographer, 70:3, 491-503. doi: 10.1080/00330124.2017.1416301
- Beckage, B., Gross, L., Metcalf, S., Carr, E., Lacasse, K., Winter, J., Howe, P., Fefferman, N., Zia, A., Kinzig, A., Franck, T., (2017). Linking models of human behavior and climate alters projected climate change. Nature Climate Change, 8, 79-84. doi: 10.1038/s41558-017-0031-7
- Kaufmann, R.K, Mann, M.L, Gopal, S., Liederman, J.A, Howe, P., Pretis, F., Tang, X., Gillmore, M., (2017). The Spatial Heterogeneity of Climate Change: An Experiential Basis for Skepticism. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 114:1, 67-71.
- Mildenberger, M., Howe, P., Lachapelle, E., Stokes, L., Marlon, J., Gravelle, T., (2016). The Distribution of Climate Change Public Opinion in Canada. PLoS One, 11:8, e0159774.
- Thaker, J., Zhao, X., Leiserowitz, A., Howe, P., Maibach, E.W, (2015). The role of collective efficacy in climate change adaptation in India. Weather, Climate, and Society, 8, 21-31.
- Lee, T.M, Markowitz, E.M, Howe, P., Ko, C., Leiserowitz, A., (2015). Predictors of public climate change awareness and risk perception around the world. Nature Climate Change, 5, 1014-1020. doi: 10.1038/nclimate2728
- Howe, P., Mildenberger, M., Marlon, J., Leiserowitz, A., (2015). Geographic variation in opinions on climate change at state and local scales in the USA. Nature Climate Change, 5, 596-603.
- Howe, P., Boudet, H.S, Maibach, E.W, Leiserowitz, A., (2014). Mapping the shadow of experience of extreme weather events. Climatic Change, 127:2, 381–389.
- Howe, P., Thaker, J., Leiserowitz, A., (2014). Public perceptions of rainfall change in India. Climatic Change
- Howe, P., Leiserowitz, A., (2013). “Who remembers a hot summer or a cold winter? The asymmetric effect of beliefs about global warming on perceptions of local seasonal climate conditions in the U.S.. Global Environmental Change, 23, 1488-1500. doi: 10.1016/j.gloenvcha.2013.09.014
- Howe, P., Markowitz, E., Lee, T., Ko, C., Leiserowitz, A., (2013). Global perceptions of local temperature change. Nature Climate Change, 3, 352-356. doi: 10.1038/nclimate1768
- Howe, P., Yarnal, B., Coletti, A., Wood, N.J, (2013). The Participatory Vulnerability Scoping Diagram: deliberative risk ranking for community water systems. Annals of the Association of American Geographers, 103, 343-352. doi: 10.1080/00045608.2013.754673
- Coletti, A., Howe, P., Yarnal, B., Wood, N.J, (2013). A support system for assessing local vulnerability to weather and climate. Natural Hazards, 65, 999-1008. doi: 10.1007/s11069-012-0366-3
- Hillmer-Pegram, K.C, Howe, P., Greenberg, H., Yarnal, B., (2012). A geographic approach to facilitating local climate governance: From emissions inventories to mitigation planning. Applied Geography, 34, 76-85. doi: 10.1016/j.apgeog.2011.11.001
- Howe, P., (2011). Hurricane preparedness as anticipatory adaptation: a case study of community businesses. Global Environmental Change, 21:2, 711-720. doi: 10.1016/j.gloenvcha.2011.02.001
Public or Trade Journal
- Howe, P., Mildenberger, M., Marlon, J., Leiserowitz, A., (2015). What Do Americans Think about Climate Change at the State and Local Level?. Scholars Strategy Network Key Findings Brief
An asterisk (*) at the end of a publication indicates that it has not been peer-reviewed.
Publications | MultiMedia
Software
- Howe, P., Mildenberger, M., Marlon, J., Leiserowitz, A., (2015). Yale Climate Opinion Maps: online tool, interactive maps, and data. Yale University and Utah State University
An asterisk (*) at the end of a publication indicates that it has not been peer-reviewed.
Publications | Technical Reports
AES Reports
Research Reports
- Lachapelle, E., Stokes, L., Marlon, J., Howe, P., Mildenberger, M., (2016). What do Canadians think about climate change? Introducing the Canadian Climate Change Opinion Maps. Climate Access *
- Leiserowitz, A., Maibach, E., Roser-Renouf, C., Feinberg, G., Rosenthal, S., Marlon, J., Howe, P., (2014). Extreme weather and climate change in the American mind: November, 2013. Yale University *
- Leiserowitz, A., Feinberg, G., Howe, P., Rosenthal, S., (2013). Climate change in the American mind: a focus on California, Colorado, Ohio, and Texas. Yale University *
- Leiserowitz, A., Feinberg, G., Howe, P., Rosenthal, S., (2013). Climate change in the Columbus, Ohioan mind. Yale University *
- Leiserowitz, A., Feinberg, G., Howe, P., Rosenthal, S., (2013). Climate change in the San Franciscan mind. Yale University *
- Leiserowitz, A., Feinberg, G., Howe, P., Rosenthal, S., (2013). Climate change in the Californian mind. Yale University
- Leiserowitz, A., Feinberg, G., Rosenthal, S., Howe, P., (2013). Climate change in the Ohioan mind. Yale University *
- Leiserowitz, A., Feinberg, G., Howe, P., Rosenthal, S., (2013). Climate change in the Texan mind. Yale University *
- Leiserowitz, A., Feinberg, G., Rosenthal, S., Howe, P., (2013). Climate change in the Coloradan mind. Yale University *
- Leiserowitz, A., Maibach, E., Roser-Renouf, C., Feinberg, G., Howe, P., (2013). Americans’ actions to limit global warming in April 2013. Yale University *
- Leiserowitz, A., Maibach, E., Roser-Renouf, C., Feinberg, G., Howe, P., (2013). Americans’ global warming beliefs and attitudes in April 2013. Yale University *
- Leiserowitz, A., Maibach, E., Roser-Renouf, C., Feinberg, G., Howe, P., (2013). Extreme weather and climate change in the American mind: April 2013. Yale University *
- Leiserowitz, A., Maibach, E., Roser-Renouf, C., Feinberg, G., Howe, P., (2013). Public support for climate and energy policies in April 2013. Yale University *
- Leiserowitz, A., Maibach, E., Roser-Renouf, C., Feinberg, G., Howe, P., (2013). Global Warming’s Six Americas in September 2012. Yale University *
Other Reports
An asterisk (*) at the end of a publication indicates that it has not been peer-reviewed.
Publications | Other
An asterisk (*) at the end of a publication indicates that it has not been peer-reviewed.