Research interests focus on testing and enhancing human behavior, decision, and persuasion theories in environmental education and communication (especially risk) contexts applying structural equation modeling, meta-analysis and case studies. Most current studies focus on evaluating environmental education resources and programs.

Awards and Grants:
Editorial Board Member: Conservation Biology, The Journal of Environmental Education, The Environmental Communication Yearbook

Research Interests:
Environmental education (evaluation, education for sustainability, professional development, pre-service); environmental risk communication; business & environment (especially green marketing); Great Lakes (issues related to education, communication).

Current/Recent Research:

• Predicting responsible environmental behavior. On-going research. One completed study evaluated the proposed measures for variables in the Hungerford and Volk behavior model for environmental educators using structural equation modeling.
• Evaluating K-12 environmental education programs and materials. Two current effort focus on determining how to best assist environmental educators with improving their evaluation practices. One involves assisting Environmental Education and Training Partnership with its evaluation efforts. The other with the USDA Forest Service and US Environmental Protection Agency to develop a web-based environmental education evaluation "clearinghouse." Evaluations have also been conducted of specific environmental education programs including ones by the Chesapeake Bay Foundation and Project Learning Tree.
• Influencing teachers' environmental education behaviors. On-going research to determine what motivates teachers to infuse EE and how to affect EE practices. One study identified and described innovative professional development programs in environmental education model schools across the country. Another study compared three behavior theories' (reasoned action, planned behavior and trying) prediction of science teachers' intentions to incorporate environmental risk education.
• Evaluating environmental education pre-service programs at higher education institutions in the USA. On-going research to determine how to improve the preparation of future environmental educators. An on-going study seeks to identify which faculty teach environmental education courses, what content they teach, and how they teach as well as to what extent practices are consistent with pre-service professional development guidelines.

Teaching Interests:

Environmental education, environmental risk communication, sustainable business

Current/Recent Teaching:

Environ 211: Social Sciences & Environmental Problems
Environ 367: Global Enterprise and Sustainable Development
Environ 382: Introduction to Environmental Education for Sustainability
NRE 515/EIH 579: Environmental Risk Communication
NRE 581: Advanced Environmental Education

Selected Publications:

• Zint, M., and A. Crook. 1998. A needs assessment of fisheries education materials for youth. Fisheries 23(10): 24-34.
• Zint, M. and A. Giles. 2000. Environmental education undergraduate and graduate programs and faculty in the United States, 2nd edition. North American Association for Environmental Education, Rock Spring, GA.
• Zint, M. and R.B. Peyton. 2001. Improving risk education in grades 6-12: A needs assessment of Michigan, Ohio, and Wisconsin science teachers. Journal of Environmental Education 32(2): 46-54.
• Zint, M. and R. Frederick. 2001. Marketing & advertising a "deep green" company: The case of Patagonia, Inc. Greener Management International: The Journal of Corporate Citizenship 1(1): 93-113.
• Zint, M. 2001. Advancing environmental risk education. Risk Analysis 21(3): 417-426.
• Zint, M. and H. Hanson. 2002. Exploring environmental careers. Environmental Science & Technology 36(1): 22A-26A.
• Zint, M., Kraemer A., Northway, H. and L. Miyoun. 2002. An evaluation of the Chesapeake Bay Foundation's conservation education programs. Conservation Biology 16(3): 1-9.
• Zint, M. 2002. Comparing three attitude-behavior theories for predicting science teachers' intentions. Journal of Research in Science Teaching 39(9): 819-844.
• O'Brien, C. and M. Zint. 2003. Do newspapers lead with lead? A content analysis of newspaper coverage of lead health risks to children. Journal of Environmental Health 65(10): 17-22.
• Brook, A., Zint, M. and R. De Young. 2003. Private landowners' responses to an endangered species act listing: Implications for conservation. Conservation Biology 17(6): 1638-1649.
• Covitt, B., Gomez-Schmidt, C., & Zint, M. 2005. An evaluation of the risk education module exploring environmental issues: Focus on Risk. Journal of Environmental Education 36(3): 3-13.
• Pollak, T. and M. Zint. 2006. Are newspapers steering potential hybrid drivers off course? An analysis of U.S. newspaper coverage of hybrid electric vehicles. Journal of Applied Environmental Education and Communication 5(1): 51-61.
• Zint, M. and A. Higgs. 2006. Education. Catalog of Conservation Social Science Tools, Society for Conservation Biology,http://www.conservationbiology.org/workinggroups/sswg/catalog/education.cfm
• Duvall, J. and M. Zint. 2007. A review of research on the effectiveness of environmental education in promoting intergenerational learning. Journal of Environmental Education 38(4): 14-24
• Zint, M. (In Review) “MEERA” - A web-based clearinghouse for advancing environmental education evaluation. Evaluation and Program Planning