Nicole Nunoo is a Research Assistant Professor with the University of Tennessee–Oak Ridge Innovation Institute’s Circular Bioeconomy Systems Convergent Research Initiative, where she leads the Human Dimensions Lab. Her research examines how social, institutional, and behavioral factors shape the development, adoption, and governance of circular bioeconomy systems and sustainable innovations. She partners with diverse stakeholders and communities to understand how collaboration, policy, and decision-making influence the transition toward viable and resilient bio-based systems.

An interdisciplinary social scientist, Nunoo work sits at the nexus of the complex relationships between Resources, Innovation, Communities, and Ecosystems (RICE) that shape circular bioeconomy transitions. Her work investigates how stakeholders make decisions, collaborate across sectors, and engage with emerging technologies and sustainability initiatives. Through participatory and systems-based approaches, she seeks to ensure that scientific and technological innovations are informed by stakeholder knowledge, community priorities, and real-world contexts.

Current areas of focus include:

• Stakeholder engagement and participatory approaches for circularity
• Human dimensions of circular bioeconomy systems and sustainable innovation
• Adoption and diffusion of circular bioeconomy innovations
• Decision-making, governance, and policy for circular bio-based systems

Through the Human Dimensions Lab, Nunoo’s long-term vision is to collaborate with interdisciplinary teams to integrate social science throughout the research process, helping ensure that innovations are practical, scalable, and responsive to the needs of diverse stakeholders.

Before joining UT-ORII, Nunoo was a Postdoctoral Research Associate in the Department of Crop and Soil Sciences at the University of Georgia, where she contributed to government- and industry-funded projects focused on circular bioeconomy systems, climate-smart agriculture, precision agriculture, and sustainable food systems.

Education