Biographical Statement
Dr. Coutts is a Professor in the Department of Urban and Regional Planning at Florida State University (FSU). He is also a faculty member of the Masters of Public Health program and a Research Affiliate with the Center for Demography and Population Health at FSU. He received undergraduate and master’s degrees in Public Health from New Mexico State University and a PhD in Urban, Technological, and Environmental Planning from the University of Michigan. Dr. Coutts’s research examines the influence of ecologically-sensitive land use practices on community health and health behavior. The thrust of his ecological planning research explores how the natural environment supports the ecosystem services essential to human health and well-being. This research was inspired by his time as a US Peace Corps Volunteer in Malawi. In 2019, he returned to Malawi as a US Fulbright Scholar to teach at Mzuzu University and perform research on the critical role of nature conservation on healthy sustainable development in the remote Misuku Hills. His work has appeared in outlets such as The New York Times, US News and World Report, Forbes, and The Atlantic.
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