Hello! I’m Jen Park-Burrows, an interdisciplinary researcher, communicator, and creative systems thinker working at the intersection of environmental and multispecies ethics, governance, and technology. I use knowledge and research to generate actionable insights, reimagining sustainable development and ethical innovation through an ecological lens that centers care for both human and nonhuman life.
With a background spanning research, communications strategy, and program and project management across the Asia-Pacific and the U.S., I bridge disciplines to drive ethical innovation and systems change. Whether writing, researching, or advocating for animals and ecosystems, I strive to connect ideas with action and help build more equitable, sustainable, and compassionate futures.
My research interests include political and social ecology, peacebuilding, environmental governance, human–nonhuman–nature relationships, multispecies and ecological justice, legal ethics, and more-than-human life, with a focus on ethical and sustainable transformation that reexamines the inherited histories and systems shaping our present, and moves toward futures that sustain and support all living systems, species, and ecologies of care.
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I hold a BFA in Visual Art from the conceptual art program at Mason Gross School of the Arts and an MS in Global Affairs from New York University, where I formally concentrated in Peacebuilding and additionally completed full concentration-level coursework in Energy and Environmental Policy and International Development and Humanitarian Assistance.
My Master’s thesis—awarded With Distinction—examined the impacts of climate change in the Arctic, including the loss and endangerment of marine and terrestrial biodiversity, alongside increasing regional militarization, corporatization, and politicization. It explored the political ecology of international law and religion, and how these legacies shape our understanding of non-human welfare and rights. Ultimately, I argued for recognizing the Arctic as a global commons and a common heritage of humankind, with Indigenous knowledge systems leading its governance.
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My research and interests in legal, moral, and cultural ethics, sustainable development, the rights of nature, and emerging technologies align closely with my professional experiences in art, education, and operations. From early work with wearable tech and smart voice systems to recent research on AI and human rights, I have consistently pursued considered innovation across disciplines. I’ve written policy briefs, co-authored AI country reports, and contributed to the Artificial Intelligence and Democratic Values Index with the Center for AI and Digital Policy.
Alongside my research, I’ve developed art installations merging ecology and creativity—such as a living greenhouse sewn from discarded plastic bags—and collaborated with artists and arthouses like Sol LeWitt and sound-art pioneer Pauline Oliveros. I have also led SMART command development for major brands including Samsung and LG, and supported education initiatives across Asia by designing tech-integrated English curricula for institutions like YBM and RISE Global.
At the heart of my work is a commitment to collaboration across disciplines and systems, grounded in ethics and care, and in service of initiatives that create lasting, meaningful impact. Whether presenting research at the United Nations CSW69 or shaping conservation policy through research and writing, I work to translate ideas into practice and advance a just and sustainable future for people, animals, and ecosystems.
As a lifelong learner, I am endlessly curious and always connecting dots. If I don’t know something, I investigate. If something needs to be done, I figure out how. If you would like to work together, exchange ideas, or collaborate on a meaningful and creative endeavor, please reach out, I would love to connect!
