Allyson Brownlee Muth, Ed.D.

Allyson Brownlee Muth, Ed.D.

  • Director, Center for Private Forests
  • Assistant Research Professor, Private Forests Management
333 Forest Resources Building
University Park, PA 16802

Areas of Expertise

  • Forest stewardship
  • Private forest landowners
  • Woodland care
  • Collaborative learning
  • Action research
  • Peer-to-peer education

Education

  • B.S. Natural Resources, University of the South, Sewanee, TN
  • M.F. Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies, New Haven, CT
  • Ed.D. Educational Psychology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN

I began at Penn State in 2004 as a Forest Stewardship Program Associate working with the Pennsylvania Forest Stewards Volunteer Program and conducting outreach to forest landowners across the state (and beyond). I have worked in the forest industry and for private consulting firms and have a strong interest in peer learning and in creating dialogue to advance understanding of forest stewardship issues and opportunities.

In 2011 I helped start the Center for Private Forests at Penn State, became the interim director in January 2018, and was appointed director in October 2020. The Center operates at the intersection of people and forests - working out of a deep understanding of the people who own and care for the woods, and using applied research to meet the needs and advance the understanding of landowners, partners, and other stakeholders.

Publications

Conservation-Based Estate Planning: Toward a Sustainable Future for Private Lands
Society and Natural Resources, Roth, Paul A., Muth, Allyson B., Metcalf, Alexander L., Finley, James Craig, 2024

Expertise, Identity, and Relationships in Private Forestry Practice
Small-scale Forestry, Jamison, Abigail L., Alter, Theodore R., Muth, Allyson B., 2023

Decision Support Tools to Inform the Rehabilitation and Management of High Graded Forests
Journal of Forestry, Curtze, Alexander, Muth, Allyson B., Larkin, Jeffery, Leites, Laura P., 2022

Forest Landowners and Advisor Relationships: Creating Collaborative Connections to Care Well for Forests
Society and Natural Resources, Jamison, Abigail, Muth, Allyson B., 2022

Seeing past the green: Structure, composition, and biomass differences in high graded and silviculture-managed forests of similar stand density
Forest Ecology and Management, Curtze, Alexander, Muth, Allyson B., Larkin, Jeffery, Leites, Laura P., 2022

Trees and Dry Conditions
Penn State Extension, Muth, Allyson, 2020

Valuing Standing Timber
Penn State Extension, Jackson, D., Muth, Allyson, 2020

Microtargeting for conservation
Conservation Biology, Metcalf, Alexander L., Phelan, Conor N., Pallai, Cassandra, Norton, Michael, Yuhas, Ben, Finley, James C., Muth, Allyson, 2019

More “Bank” for the Buck: Microtargeting and Normative Appeals to Increase Social Marketing Efficiency
Social Marketing Quarterly, Metcalf, Alexander L., Angle, Justin W., Phelan, Conor N., Muth, B. Allyson, Finley, James C., 2019

Dealing with Complexity and Change through Collective Reflection, Muth, Allyson, Frumento, Paloma, Reid, Michael, 2019

Special Case: Small Woodlots, Finley, James, Muth, Allyson, deCalesta, David, 2019

Strategy and practice for community engagement, Frumento, Paloma, Whitmer, Walt, Alter, Theodore, Muth, Allyson, Marshall, Darren, Shuffstall, William, 2019

Special Case Small Woodlots, Finley, James Craig, Muth, Allyson, deCalesta, David S., 2019

Forest Regeneration Assessment Series: A Guide for Leading a Woodland Regeneration Assessment Event, Horner, L., Muth, Allyson, Finley, J, 2019

Forest Regeneration Assessment Series: Evaluating Stand Conditions: Implementing and Interpreting the Regeneration Assessment, Finley, J, Muth, Allyson, Horner, L., 2019

Forest Regeneration Assessment Series: Forest Ecology: How a Forest Grows, Finley, J, Muth, Allyson, Horner, L., 2019

Forest Regeneration Assessment Series: What’s Getting in the Way of Your Woodland’s Potential to Regenerate?, Finley, J, Muth, Allyson, Horner, L., 2019

More "Bank" for the Buck: Microtargeting and Normative Appeals to Increase Social Marketing Efficiency
Social Marketing Quarterly, Metcalf, Alexander, Angle, Justin, Phelan, Connor, Muth, Allyson, Finley, J, 2018

Invasive Forest Plants of the Mid-Atlantic
Penn State Extension, Templeton, S., Muth, Allyson, 2018

Legacy Planning Stories: How Forest Landowners "Like Me" Are Ensuring the Future of Their Land, Muth, Allyson, Reyes, P., 2018

Making Decisions About Forestland Succession: Perspectives from Pennsylvania's Private Forest Landowners
Society and Natural Resources, Gruver, Joshua B., Metcalf, Alexander L., Muth, Allyson B., Finley, James C., Luloff, A. E., 2017

Making decisions about forestland succession: perspectives from Pennsylvania's private forest landowners, Gruver, Joshua, Metcalf, Alexander, Muth, Allyson, Finley, J, Luloff, A, 2016