Maria A. Petrova, PhD
Dr. Maria Petrova’s work spans sustainability, energy, and the environment, bringing together interdisciplinary teaching, research, and advising that bridge environmental science, policy, and business. Originally from Bulgaria, she has lived and worked in Greece and the United States, building her career across international academic settings that connect scholarship with practice.
Dr. Petrova holds a PhD in environmental science from Oregon State University, a master’s in marketing, advertising and public relations from the University of Sheffield (Greece), and a bachelor’s in business administration from the American University in Bulgaria. She has held research and administrative appointments at The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University, Georgetown University, UMass Boston, and Harvard University. At Georgetown, she launched and directed the Master of Science in Environment and Sustainability Management.
Her research and teaching center on climate and energy policy and sustainable development, examining how public opinion, institutions, and human behavior shape responses to complex sustainability challenges. Her work brings together the human dimensions of environmental problems with the development of nature-based solutions for decarbonization. She works closely with policymakers and organizations to advance practical, scalable solutions that reduce environmental impact.
As a professor, Dr. Petrova is especially interested in helping students build the analytical and communication skills needed to understand sustainability problems across disciplines and translate research and evidence into meaningful action.
Graduate Courses Taught
Analytical Tools and Methods in Sustainability Studies
Effective Communication for Change
Research Interests
Sustainability and sustainable development
Climate and energy policy
Energy transitions and urban decarbonization
Circular economy and food waste reduction
Interdisciplinary research and methods
Communication for sustainability and change
Science, policy, and society
Select Publications
Petrova, Maria (2023) “Solving the tricky part of getting to net zero requires reconfiguring community engagement approaches” Illuminem (12/23) opinion piece
Bhandary R., Gallagher, Jaffe, Myslikova, Zhang, Petrova, Maria, et al. (2022) “Demanding development: The political economy of climate finance and overseas investments from China.” Energy Research and Social Science (93).
Abesha, N., Assefa, E. and Maria A. Petrova (2022) “Large-scale agricultural investment in Ethiopia: Development, challenges and policy responses” Land Use Policy (117). 91-106 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landusepol.2022.106091
Ruseva, Tatyana & Maria Petrova. (2019) “Implementing the European Union renewable energy policy targets in Bulgaria.” Book Chapter in Cases on Green Energy and Sustainable Development, Peter Young, Ed., IGI Global.
Steger, Cara, Shana Hirsch, Benjamin Branoff, Maria Petrova, et al. (2018) “Ecosystem Services as Boundary Objects for Transdisciplinary Collaboration.” Ecological Economics, Vol. 143, 153-160.
Petrova, Maria (2016) “From NIMBY to acceptance: Toward a novel framework — VESPA — for organizing and interpreting community concerns.” Renewable Energy, Vol 86, Pages 1280 – 1294. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.renene.2015.09.047
Petrova, Maria (2013) “NIMBYism revisited: Public acceptance of wind energy in the United States.” Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews: Climate Change, Vol 4 (6) Pages 575 – 601. https://doi.org/10.1002/wcc.250
Education
- PhD, Environmental Science, Oregon State University
- MA, Marketing, Advertising and Public Relations, University of Sheffield
- BA, Business Administration, American University in Bulgaria
