Jessica Schad
Sociology & Anthropology Department
Rural Communities & Natural Resources Specialist

Educational Background
Expertise
Rural Communities, Natural Resource Dependency, Survey Methods, Agricultural Conservation Practices, Amenity Migration
Teaching Interests
Rural and Agricultural Populations Survey Methodology; Community Theory and Analysis; Rural Sociology; Research Methods; Population Studies
Research Interests
Community; Environment/Natural Resources; Poverty/Inequality; Rural Sociology; Social Demography; Survey Methodology
Awards
Graduate Research Mentor Award, 2022
Sociology & Anthropology Department, Utah State University
Undergraduate Research Mentor Award, 2021
Sociology & Anthropology Department, Utah State University
Best Research Paper for Impact and Quality Award, 2019
Journal of Soil and Water Conservation
Student Engagement Award, 2016
Department of Sociology and Rural Studies, South Dakota State University
Early Career Research Award, 2015
Rural Sociological Society
Graduate Student Paper Award, 2015
Rural Sociological Society Population Research Interest Group
Publications | Abstracts
An asterisk (*) at the end of a publication indicates that it has not been peer-reviewed.
- Schad, J., (2022). Poverty, Health and Healthcare in Rural Communities in the United States.: The Edinburgh Companion to the Politics of American Health .
- Schad, J., (2021). Marginalization of Rural Communities in the United States. Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis and the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System
- Schad, J., (2021). Analysis of Research Methods Examining Shale Oil and Gas Development: Energy Impacts: A Multidisciplinary Exploration of North American Energy Development. Energy Impacts: A Multidisciplinary Exploration of North American Energy Development
Publications | Book Chapters
An asterisk (*) at the end of a publication indicates that it has not been peer-reviewed.
Publications | Fact Sheets
- Schad, J., (2022). Debunking COVID-19 Myths in Utah. *
An asterisk (*) at the end of a publication indicates that it has not been peer-reviewed.
Publications | Journal Articles
Academic Journal
- Omisakin, O., Schad, J., Hunt, A., Givens, J., Beacham, M., Belief in Vaccine Myths and Vaccine Uptake in Utah During the COVID-19 Pandemic. Preventative Medicine Reports
- Li, S., Schad, J., Avemegah, E., Leffler, A.J, Perkins, L., Dewormers, Dung Beetles, and Decision-Making: Using the Theory of Planned Behavior to Understand South Dakota Rangeland Livestock Producers’ Usage of Parasiticides. Rangeland Ecology and Management, 90:1, 12-21. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rama.2023.05.003
- Adhikari, R., Wang, T., Jin, H., Schad, J., Sieverding, H.L, Clay, D.E, Farmer perceived challenges to conservation practice usage in the margins of Corn Belt, U.S.A.. Renewable Agriculture and Food Systems, doi: https://doi.org/10.1017/S1742170523000042
- Bennett, E., Burnham, M., Schad, J., Arbuckle, J., Eaton, W.M, Church, S.P, Eanes, F., Cross, J., Williamson, M., Testing Modified Sense of Place Measure on Working Landscapes in Iowa. Society & Natural Resources, doi: https://doi.org/10.1080/08941920.2023.2177917
- Etumnu, C., Wang, T., Jin, H., Sieverding, H.L, Schad, J., Clay, D.E, Understanding Farmers’ Perception of Extreme Weather Events and Adaptive Measures. Climate Risk Management, doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.crm.2023.100494
- Petrzelka, P., Schad, J., Yost, M., ’We’re very late to the party’: Motivations and Challenges with Improving Soil Health in Utah. Agriculture and Human Values, doi: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10460-023-10467-x
- Schad, J., Li, S., Arbuckle, J., Avemegah, E., Brasier, K., Burnham, M., Kumar Chaudhary, A., Eaton, W.M, Gu, W., Haigh, T., Jackson-Smith, D., Metcalf, A.M, Pradhananga, A., Prokopy, L.S, Sanderson, M., Wade, E., Wilke, A., (2022). An Inventory and Assessment of Sample Sources for Survey Research with Agricultural Producers in the U.S.. Society & Natural Resources, 35:7
- Clark, J.D, Schad, J., Kovács, P., Avemegah, E., (2022). Farmer Adoption of Efficient Inorganic Nitrogen Fertilizer Management Practices in South Dakota. Journal of Soil and Water Conservation , 77:6, 568-578.
- Church, S.P, Wardropper, C., Usher, E.M, Beam, L.F, Gilbert, A., Eanes, F., Schad, J., Babin, N., Ranjan, P., Getson, J.M, Esman, L., Prokopy, L.S, (2022). How does co-produced research influence adaptive capacity? Lessons from a cross-case comparison. Socio-Ecological Practice Research, 4:3
- Schad, J., Jakus, P.M, Borgdigioni, M., Albrecht, D., (2022). Preferences for Economic and Environmental Goals in Rural Community Development in the Western United States. Rural Sociology, doi: 10.1111/ruso.12429
- Schad, J., Givens, J., Beacham, M., (2022). Preventive Behaviors Along the Rural-Urban Continuum in Utah During the COVID-19 Pandemic. Journal of Rural Social Science, 37:2
- Fairchild, E., Schad, J., Petrzelka, P., Ma, Z., (2022). The Lay of the Land: What We Know About Non-Operating Agricultural and Absentee Forest Landowners in the U.S. and Europe. Journal of Environmental Management, 313:1
- Soyer, M., McCrackin, G., Ziyanak, S., Givens, J., Norman, V.J, Schad, J., (2022). Leaving the Lectures Behind: Using Community-Engaged Learning in Research Methods Classes to Teach about Sustainability. Teaching Sociology
- Schad, J.D, Li, S., Leffler, A.J, Gu, W., Schoon, L., Perkins, L., (2021). What and Why: South Dakota Rangeland Livestock Producers’ Usage of Parasiticides. Rangeland Ecology and Management, 79, 190-200.
- Church, S.P, Floress, K.M, Schad, J., Wardropper, C.B, Ranjan, P., Eaton, W.M, Gasteyer, S., Rissman, A., (2020). How water quality improvement efforts influence urban--agricultural relationships. Agriculture and Human Values, 1--18.
- Stofferahn, C.W, Schad, J., (2020). Predicting Support for Oil Industry Regulatory Policy Alternatives During the North Dakota Oil Boom. Journal of Rural Social Sciences , 35:2, 1-28.
- Kolady, D., Zhang, W., Wang, T., Schad, J., (2020). Spatially mediated peer effects in the adoption of conservation agriculture practices. Journal of Agricultural and Applied Economics
- Schad, J., Larson, E.C, Fernando, F., Abulbasher, A., (2020). The Goldilocks View: Support and Skepticism of the Impacts and Pace of Unconventional Oil and Gas Development in the Bakken Shale of the United States. Energy Research & Social Science, 70
- Prokopy, L.S, Gramig, B.M, Bower, A., Church, S.P, Ellison, B., Gassman, P.W, Genskow, K., Gucker, D., Hallett, S.G, Hill, J., Hunt, N., Johnson, K., Kaplan, , Kelleher, P., Kok, H., Komp, M., Lammers, P., LaRose, S., Schad, J., (2020). The urgency of transforming the Midwestern US landscape into more than corn and soybean. Agriculture and Human Values, 1. *
- Schad, J., Givens, J., (2020). The Forest in the Future: A Response to Seeing the Forest for the Trees. Society and Natural Resources10.1080/08941920.2019.1709004
- Avemegah, E., Gu, W., Abulbasher, A., Koci, K., Ogunyiola, A., Eduful, , Li, S., Barington, K., Wang, T., Kolady, D., Perkins, L., Leffler, J., Kovacs, P., Clark, J., Clay, D., Schad, J., (2019). An Examination of Best Practices for Survey Research with Agricultural Producers. Society and Natural Resources
- Joshi, D.R, Schad, J., Wang, T., Dunn, B.H, Clay, S.A, Bruggeman, S.A, Clay, D.E, (2019). Grassland Retention in the North America Midwest after Periods of High Commodity Prices and Climate Variability. Soil Science Society of American Journal, 83, 1290-1298.
- Alsharif, S., Schad, J., (2019). Unemployed Women in Rural Saudi Arabia: Gender and Social Challenges. Dirasat: Human and Social Sciences , 46:4, 427-437.
- Eaton, W.M, Eanes, F.R, Schad, J., Burnham, M., Church, S.P, Arbuckle, J.G, Cross, J.E, (2019). The Trouble with Sense of Place in Working Landscapes. Society and Natural Resources, 32:7, 827-840.
- Schad, J., Fedder, M., Yingling, J., (2019). You shouldn't worry walking a block and a half to your car’: Exploring Perceptions of Crime and Community Norms in the Bakken Oil Play. International Journal of Rural Criminology, 4:2, 193-216.
- Church, S.P, Babin, N., Bentlage, B., Dunn, M., Schad, J., Ranjan, P., Magner, J., McLellan, E., Stephan, S., Tomer, M., Prokopy, L.S, (2019). The Beargrass Story: Utilizing social science to evaluate and learn from the ‘watershed approach’. Journal of Contemporary Water Resources and Education , 167, 78-96.
- Brock, C., Schad, J., Prokopy, L., (2018). Bridging the Divide: Challenges and Opportunities for Public Sector Agricultural Professionals Working with Amish and Mennonite Producers on Conservation. Environmental Management, 61:5, 756-771.
- Schad, J., Qin, H., (2018). Culture Clash? Predictors of Views on Amenity-Led Development and Community Involvement in Rural Recreation Counties. Rural Sociology, 83:1, 81-108.
- Floress, K., Reimer, A., Thompson, A., Burbach, M., Knutsen, C., Prokopy, L., Ribuado, M., Schad, J., (2018). Measuring Farmer Conservation Behaviors: Challenges and Best Practices. Land Use Policy, 70, 414-418.
- Schad, J., Duncan, C.M, (2018). People and Places Left Behind: Work, Culture and Politics in the Rural United States. The Journal of Peasant Studies, 45:1, 59-79.
- Singh, A., MacGowan, B., O'Donnell, M., Brian, O., Schad, J., Klotz, H., Prokopy, L.S, (2018). The influence of demonstration sites and field days on conservation practices adoption. Journal of Soil and Water Conservation, 73:3, 274-281.
- Schad, J., (2018). ’We Didn’t Move Here to Move to Aspen’: Community Making and Community Development in an Emerging Rural Amenity Destination. Journal of Rural and Community Development, 13:4, 43-65.
- Schad, J., Brock, C., Prokopy, L.S, (2017). A Comparison of Awareness, Attitudes, and Usage of Water Quality Conservation Practices between Amish and non-Amish Farmers. Society and Natural Resources, 30:12, 1476-1490.
- Schad, J., Garcia de Jalon, S., Prokopy, L.S, Babin, N., Pape, A., (2017). Measuring and Understanding Agricultural Producers’ Adoption of Nutrient Best Management Practices. Journal of Soil and Water Conservation , 72:5, 464-476.
- Floress, K., Garcia de Jalon, S., Church, S.P, Babin, N., Schad, J., Prokopy, L.S, (2017). Toward a theory of farmer conservation attitudes: Dual interests and willingness to take action to protect water quality. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 53, 73–80.
- Schad, J., Babin, N., Ma, Z., Prokopy, L.S, (2016). Out-of-state, out of mind? Non-operating farmland owners and conservation decision making. Land Use Policy, 54, 602–613.
- Dunn, M., Schad, J., Prokopy, L., Myers, R., Watts, C., Scanlon, K., (2016). Perceptions and use of cover crops among early adopters: Findings from a national survey. Journal of Soil and Water Conservation, 71:1, 29–40.
- Caron, R.M, Schad, J., Lafferty, C., (2015). Academic-community partnerships: Effectiveness evaluated beyond the ivory walls. Journal of Community Engagement and Scholarship, 8:1, 125.
- Schad, J., (2015). Recreational amenities, rural migration patterns, and the Great Recession. Population and Environment, 37:2, 157–180.
- Mahoney, M.L, Tang, T., Ji, K., Schad, J., (2015). The digital distribution of public health news surrounding the human papillomavirus vaccination: a longitudinal infodemiology study. Journal of Medical Internet Research Public Health and Surveillance , 1:1
- Mullendore, N.D, Schad, J., Prokopy, L.S, (2015). US farmers’ sense of place and its relation to conservation behavior. Landscape and Urban Planning, 140, 67–75.
- Busse, R., Schad, J., Crighton, L., Peel, S., Genskow, K., Prokopy, L.S, (2015). Using Social Indicators to Evaluate the Effectiveness of Outreach in Two Indiana Watersheds. Journal of Contemporary Water Research & Education, 156:1, 5–20.
- Safford, T.G, Henly, M., Schad, J., Perkins, K., (2014). Charting a future course for development: Natural resources, conservation, and community character in coastal Alaska. Journal of Rural and Community Development, 9:3, 371-398.
- Caron, R.M, Hooker, E.A, Schad, J., (2013). Body of Knowledge for Health Administration Education: Teaching Epidemiology in the Age of Health Care Reform. Journal of Health Administration Education, 30:3, 197–212.
- Schad, J., Henly, M., Safford, T.G, (2013). The role of community assessments, place, and the great recession in the migration intentions of rural Americans. Rural Sociology, 78:3, 371–398.
- Hamilton, L.C, Safford, T.G, Schad, J., (2012). In the Wake of the Spill: Views of Oil and Environment Along the Gulf Coast. Social Science Quarterly, 93:4, 1053-1064.
- Caron, R., Schad, J., (2012). Policy and Community Partnerships as Public Health Management Tools for Childhood Lead Poisoning. International Public Health Journal , 4:3, 221-233.
- Safford, T.G, Schad, J., Hamilton, L.C, (2012). Public Perceptions of the Response to the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill: Personal Experiences, Information Sources, and Social Context. Journal of Environmental Management , 113, 31-39.
An asterisk (*) at the end of a publication indicates that it has not been peer-reviewed.
Publications | Technical Reports
Research Reports
- Schad, J., (2021). South Dakota Farm Survey White Paper Series. *
An asterisk (*) at the end of a publication indicates that it has not been peer-reviewed.
Publications | Other
Bulletins
- Schad, J., (2019). Another Piece of the Puzzle? Understanding South Dakota Veterinarians’ Response to the Opioid Epidemic. *
Magazine/Trade Publications
- Schad, J., (2020). Rural Utahns during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Impacts, Behavior, and Views on Government Response and Science. Rural Connections: The Magazine of the Western Rural Development Center *
Other
- Schad, J., (2020). Community, Natural Resources, and Sustainability: Overview of An Interdisciplinary and International Literature. Sustainability *
- Schad, J., (2018). Temporal Impacts of Changing Agricultural Practices, Rural Populations, and Landowner Gender on South Dakota Waterfowl Habitats and Populations. Proceedings of the South Dakota Academy of Science *
- Schad, J., (2022). Population Growth is Related to Natural Hazard Exposure in the Rural Western U.S..
- Schad, J., (2020). COVID-19, Politics, and Science in Utah: Executive Summary of Research Findings. Utah State University *
An asterisk (*) at the end of a publication indicates that it has not been peer-reviewed.