Environmental Governance Research

I study how institutions collaborate to tackle environmental challenges—from watershed management to energy transitions to technology governance.

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Research Focus

My work bridges theory and practice in environmental governance through three key areas:

Collaborative Water Governance

Examining how partnerships across watershed boundaries address water quality challenges and identifying key success factors.

Energy Policy & Justice

Studying regulatory enforcement patterns in energy extraction and analyzing community impacts—especially in vulnerable populations.

Technology in Governance

Exploring Real-Time Crime Centers, blockchain applications for transparency, and how technology transforms public administration.

Watershed research illustration

Current Work

Forthcoming Publications

  • "Does Disclosure Matter?" — How transparency drives environmental performance
  • "Pioneering Policy" — Multi-agency collaboration in California's Climate Investment Program
  • "Inspector-Level Bureaucracy" — Discretionary decisions in natural resource agencies
  • "Administrative Resilience" — How governance adapts to political pressures
River landscape

Selected Publications

Plugged in? Assessing the Distribution of Orphaned Wells

Amin, A., Adams, D. P., Fisk, J. M., & Mayer, A. F.

Journal of Environmental Policy & Planning (2025) 2025

Crude Contempt: Examining Local Pushback to Oil and Gas Development in California

Adams, D. P., Mahfuza, Z., & Fisk, J. M.

Journal of Politics and Policy, 49(2) 2021

Affluence, Risk, and Community Engagement: The Case of Ascon and Huntington Beach

Adams, D. P., Doucette, M., & Tucker, J.

California Journal of Politics and Policy, 11(3) 2019

Ethics in Public Administration: Ethics, Corruption, and Public Policy

Adams, D. P. & Doucette, M. (Eds.)

Cognella Press 2019 Textbook

Collaborative Outcomes of Natural Resource Institutions

Adams, D. P.

Dissertation, Auburn University 2016 Dissertation