Jessica Ulrich-Schad, associate professor of sociology at Utah State University, recently received the 2025 William R. Freudenburg Award of Merit from the Rural Sociological Society, a professional organization dedicated to advancing social science research and improving the well-being of rural communities throughout North America.
As a scholar, Dr. Ulrich-Schad centers her research on environmental sociology. Over the course of her career, she has become an expert on the impact of tourism on Bear Lake and the social dynamics of natural-resource-based communities.
At Utah State University, Dr. Ulrich-Schad serves as director of the Community and Natural Resources Institute. She is affliated with the university’s Ecology Center and serves as an extension specialist for rural communities and natural resources. Before joining the Utah State faculty in 2019, Dr. Ulrich-Schad taught sociology and rural studies at South Dakota State University for four years.
Dr. Ulrich-Schad received her bachelor’s degree in social science from the University of Montana-Western, master’s degree in sociology from the University of Montana-Missoula, and Ph.D. in sociology from the University of New Hampshire.