Yen-Chu Weng
- Assistant Teaching Professor in the Program on the Environment
Research areas
Autumn 2026-27 Admissions: As an Assistant Teaching Professor in the Program on the Environment, Dr. Weng does not ordinarily admit graduate students. Dr. Weng is not accepting students for graduate admissions. Currently, Dr. Weng is in Japan teaching courses at Sophia and Hosei Universities as a Fulbright Scholar.
As a geographer, Weng has always been interested in exploring the connections between human societies and the environment. She received broad training in both the biophysical sciences and the social sciences and integrated quantitative, qualitative, and GIS methods into her research projects. Her master’s thesis analyzed the spatiotemporal changes of urban landscape patterns in response to urbanization, with a focus on green space conservation.
In her doctoral research, she explored different perspectives on ecological restoration from the standpoints of scientists, professional practitioners, and volunteers. Based on case studies from Wisconsin and Michigan, she cross-examined the meanings of science, nature, and participation embedded in restoration ideologies and practices.
She enjoys teaching and experimenting with innovative pedagogy in the core program courses she teaches. At the University of Washington, Weng engages with the latest development in pedagogy through the Center for Teaching and Learning. She was awarded Technology Teaching Fellow and Evidence-Based Teaching Fellow through the CTL. As a catalyst for globally engaged teaching, Weng served as the inaugural Global Engagement Fellow at the UW and was the winner of serval Global Innovation Fund Teaching & Curriculum Awards.
Weng is also a core faculty member of the UW Taiwan Studies Program and lead a summer study abroad program to Taiwan with the theme of “Exploring Environmental and Social Resilience.” In her course “Environmental Issues in East Asia”, students survey contemporary environmental issues in China, Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan through a comparative lens. Through this course, she organizes a lecture series focusing on Contemporary Environmental Issues in Taiwan.
Externally, Weng has been involved in the National Socio-Environmental Synthesis Center’s program on “Teaching Socio-Environmental Synthesis with Case Studies.” Currently, she serves as the Associate Editor for the Journal of Environmental Studies and Sciences.
In addition to teaching and research, she advises students on various Capstone projects, including topics about environmental education, greenway infrastructure, sustainability design, community outreach, clean-up site prioritization and many others.
In 2025-2026, Weng is awarded as a Fulbright Scholar to teach courses in geography, sustainability, environmental literature, and global environmental politics at Sophia University and Hosei University in Japan. She will share the American experience in environmental conservation, movements, and governance with students and scholars in Japan and foster opportunities for mutual learning and advancement in these areas.
- B.S. Geography, National Taiwan University, 2003
- M.S. Geography, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 2005
- Ph.D. Geography, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 2011
Courses
- ENVIR 100 | Introduction to Environmental Studies (5) - Autumn; Winter; Spring; Summer
- ENVIR 301 | Research Methods in Environmental Studies (5) - Autumn; Winter; Spring
- ENVIR 310 | Data Analysis in Environmental Studies (5) - Autumn; Summer
- ENVIR 430 / JSIS 484 | Environmental Issues: Regional Perspectives (5) - Spring
- ENVIR 496 / JSIS 391 | Study Abroad: Exploring Environmental and Social Resilience in Taiwan (12) - Summer
Current sponsored projects
Fulbright Scholar, Lecturing Program, Study of the United States, “American environmental history and environmental politics: A US-Japan comparative project”
Selected publications
Weng, Y.-C., & Cheng, C.-C. (2026). Evaluating the accessibility of interpretive signs in nature parks: Comparative perspectives from Taiwan and Washington State. In S. Meyers & J. Naranjo (Eds.), Disability & the outdoors: Disability studies perspectives on access, inclusion, and identity in participation and belonging in the natural world. University of Washington Press.
Weng, Y.-C. (2015). Contrasting visions of science in ecological restoration: Expert-lay dynamics between professional practitioners and volunteers. Geoforum, 65, 134–145.
Weng, Y.-C. (2007). Spatiotemporal changes of landscape pattern in response to urbanization. Landscape and Urban Planning, 81(4), 341–353.