The Environmental Dispute Resolution (EDR) Program fosters a culture of collaboration around environmental, natural resource, and broader public policy issues by helping people be more skillful in working through conflict.
Formerly a program of the University of Utah’s Wallace Stegner Center, the EDR program transitioned to Utah State University’s School of Social Sciences and Heravi Peace Institute in 2026 to expand its reach and impact.
Areas of Work
Highlights
Collaboration Certificate Course (CCC)
This seven-session online course teaches the "art and science" of collaborative problem-solving and conflict resolution through lectures, case studies, peer-to-peer sharing, discussion, and simulation exercises. In alignment with the EDR Program mission to build collaborative capacity within the Mountain West, this course is targeted toward qualified mid- and upper-level professionals working on environmental, natural resource, and public policy issues in the Mountain West, although candidates working on these issues in other regions are encouraged to apply.
The course runs from September-December 2026 and applications are due by May 15.
Federal Collaboration Certificate Course
In this seven-session intensive online course for federal agency employees, participants learn how to effectively and productively navigate conflict and collaborate to co-create and implement mutually beneficial, effective solutions. Participants learn the “art and science” of collaborative problem-solving through lectures, case studies, peer-to-peer sharing, discussion, and simulation exercises. The course also provides a unique opportunity for participants to interact and network with colleagues at other federal agencies and to learn from one another’s experiences with collaboration in the federal context.
The course runs from September-December 2026. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis; the first round of acceptances will be issued May 15.
Our Team
Danya Rumore, PhD., is the Director of the EDR Program, an Associate Professor of Practice in the School of Social Sciences, and a faculty affiliate of the Heravi Peace Institute. She has over 20 years of experience in conflict resolution, consensus building, and collaborative process design in the context of environmental, natural resource, community, and public policy issues. Danya was the 2025 recipient of the Utah Council on Conflict Resolution’s Peacekeeper Award and the 2018 recipient of the Rob Williams Award for Emerging Environment and Public Policy Leaders.
Contact Us
For more information about the EDR Program or to request our assistance, contact danya.rumore@usu.edu.