Biography and education
North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina
Ph.D., Forestry and Environmental Resources (FER), August 2014
College of Natural Resources (CNR)
Dissertation: Conservation and development in Chilean Patagonia: Assessing value orientations, cultural truths, and rural change in the context of public and private protected areas
North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina Master of Science, May 2010
Field: Natural Resources (Parks, Recreation, and Tourism Management [PRTM]) College of Natural Resources
Master's Thesis: Understanding environmentally significant behavior among guides in the Garhwal Himalaya, India
Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green, Ohio Bachelor of Science, December 2000
Major: Environmental Health
Ph.D., Forestry and Environmental Resources (FER), August 2014
College of Natural Resources (CNR)
Dissertation: Conservation and development in Chilean Patagonia: Assessing value orientations, cultural truths, and rural change in the context of public and private protected areas
North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina Master of Science, May 2010
Field: Natural Resources (Parks, Recreation, and Tourism Management [PRTM]) College of Natural Resources
Master's Thesis: Understanding environmentally significant behavior among guides in the Garhwal Himalaya, India
Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green, Ohio Bachelor of Science, December 2000
Major: Environmental Health
Teaching Interests
Featured grants
- Messick, Jared A (Principal), Serenari, Christopher (Co-Principal). Uncovering the structural and behavioral factors that inspire committed collaboration for wildlife in Texas, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, State, $317441. (Funded: September 1, 2024 - Present). Grant.
- Serenari, Christopher (Principal), Liu, Xiangping (Co-Principal), Starns, Heath (Co-Principal), Donvan, Victoria (Co-Principal). Modeling CRPs Role in Wildfire Resilience, United States Department of Agriculture, Federal, $1146849. (Funded: September 1, 2024 - 2028). Grant.
- Serenari, Christopher. Mapping the socio-political context of fire suppression through multi-institutional collaboration, Joint Fire Science Program, Federal, $232181. (Funded: October 1, 2023 - September 30, 2025). Grant.
- Serenari, Christopher, Daniel, Kristy Lynn. Testing communication strategies to increase Houston toad Safe Harbor Agreement enrollment, State, $105000. (Funded: January 2021 - December 31, 2023). Grant.
- Serenari, Christopher (Principal), Daniel, Kristy Lynn (Co-Principal), Forstner, Michael R (Co-Principal). Investigating Factors Influencing Recruitment into the Houston Toad Safe Harbor Agreements, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department Wildlife Diversity Program Conservation License Plate Grant, State, $29127. (Funded: October 2018 - August 2019). Grant.
Featured scholarly/creative works
- Serenari, C., Othman, N. binti, Yadav, K., Rubino, E., & Goossens, B. (2025). Investigating Blame for Human-Wildlife Conflict: Reason Conditions for Human-Elephant Conflict in Borneo. Tropical Conservation Science.
- McClendon, A., (Waliczek) Cade, T. M., Serenari, C., & Williamson, P. S. (2024). Effects of an informal educational program on knowledge and perceptions of invasive species management. HortTechnology, 34(1), 71–79. https://doi.org/DOI:10.21273/horttech05276-23
- Messick, J., Serenari, C., & Rubino, E. (2024). Communicating expectations: Informing strategic communications by conservation level segmentation and impression management preferences. Society and Natural Resources, 37(8), 1177–1198.
- Serenari, C. (2024). Beyond Tolerance: Mitigating Human-Wildlife Conflict with Hospitality. Animals.
- Serenari, C. (2023). Fish and Wildlife Agency Transformation to Meet the Demands of a Changing World. In Angler recruitment, retention, and reactivation: Influencing the future of fisheries and aquatic conservation. Bethesda, MD: American Fisheries Society.
Featured awards
- Award / Honor Recipient: COSE 2025 Research Millionaire, TXST. October 1, 2025 - Present
- Award / Honor Recipient: Early Career Scholarship, International Symposium on Society and Research Management. 2015
- Award / Honor Recipient: University Graduate Student Association Award for Conferences, North Carolina State University. 2014
- Award / Honor Recipient: FER–Arthur W. Cooper Graduate Fellowship for Excellence in Social Sciences, North Carolina State University. 2014
- Award / Honor Nominee: Graduate Student Research Symposium, North Carolina State University. 2014
Featured service activities
- Reviewer / Referee
Ecology & Evolution
- Reviewer / Referee
Ecology and Evolution
- Reviewer / Referee
Wildlife Letters
- Member
Wildlife Ecology Faculty Search Committee
- Reviewer / Referee
Journal of Ecotourism
- Reviewer / Referee
PLOS ONE