Talk:Jessica Hellmann

Request to update biography (COI disclosure)

Hello — I am Jessica Hellmann, the subject of this article, so I have a conflict of interest and am not making these changes directly. I would be grateful if an independent editor would review the article, which is now substantially out of date.

If it is helpful to address the requests below incrementally, the most straightforward factual/privacy corrections are: (1) removal of the sentence identifying my daughter by name and birth year; (2) replacement of the outdated photograph with the freely licensed Commons image linked below; (3) correction of my obsolete University title; and (4) correction of the characterization of the National Academies report as my “second book.” I would be grateful for review of any of these individually; the entire request need not be addressed at once. — Preceding unsigned comment added by PeopleandPlanetSci (talk • contribs) 19:00, 4 September 2026 (UTC)

I would suggest the following updates and corrections: Update my current University of Minnesota positions. I am Executive Director and Ecolab Chair in Environmental Leadership at the Institute on the Environment and a Distinguished McKnight University Professor in the Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior. The article currently identifies me as holding the Bennett Chair, which is no longer current. Sources: https://environment.umn.edu/staff/jessica-hellmann/ https://scholarswalk.umn.edu/university-awards/mcknight-distinguished-professors/jessica-j-hellmann

Add my role as Director/Consortium Director of the Midwest Climate Adaptation Science Center. The MW CASC is hosted at the University of Minnesota in partnership with the U.S. Geological Survey and a multi-institutional consortium. Source: https://mwcasc.umn.edu/node/141

Update the description of my work at the Institute on the Environment. I have directed the Institute since 2015, and the current article says relatively little about this period of my career. IonE is an interdisciplinary sustainability institute working across research, education, and external partnerships. Source: https://environment.umn.edu/staff/jessica-hellmann/

Update the description of my research. My earlier research on species responses to climate change remains relevant, but my work has broadened to include climate adaptation in natural and human systems, greenhouse-gas emission reduction, interdisciplinary sustainability science, and environmental decision-making. I would leave the precise wording and appropriate weight to editors. Sources: https://cbs.umn.edu/directory/jessica-hellmann https://mwcasc.umn.edu/node/141

Update honors and professional recognition. I was elected a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science in 2020 and a Fellow of the Ecological Society of America in 2021. I was also named a Distinguished McKnight University Professor in 2023. Sources: https://cbs.umn.edu/blog-posts/three-cbs-faculty-members-named-aaas-fellows https://esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/bes2.1929 https://scholarswalk.umn.edu/university-awards/mcknight-distinguished-professors/jessica-j-hellmann

Review and update the section describing boards and professional service, some of which is no longer current. I am happy to provide current sources if editors think these activities warrant inclusion. Correct the description of A Review of the Landscape Conservation Cooperatives. The article currently describes this as my “second book.” It was a consensus report of a National Academies committee on which I served, rather than an individually authored book.

Remove the sentence identifying my daughter by name and year of birth. This information does not appear relevant to my professional biography or notability, and I would prefer not to have identifying information about a family member included unnecessarily.

Update the photograph. The photograph currently used in the article is quite old. I would be happy to make a recent photograph available on Wikimedia Commons under an appropriate free license if an editor considers a newer photograph appropriate for the article.

I recognize that sources affiliated with the University of Minnesota are primary sources and leave decisions about wording, weight, and inclusion to independent editors. I would also be happy to help identify independent sources if needed.

Thank you for taking a look. PeopleandPlanetSci (talk) 18:07, 13 August 2026 (UTC)

Follow-up on the photograph request: I have now uploaded a current professional photograph to Wikimedia Commons with permission from the photographer under a CC BY-SA 4.0 license.

It is available here:

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Jessica_Hellmann_photo_2025.jpg

I would be grateful if an editor would consider using this image to replace the 2009 photograph currently in the article. Thank you. PeopleandPlanetSci (talk) 19:46, 17 August 2026 (UTC)

Replaced the image and details of your family member Aloneinthewild (talk) 14:32, 5 September 2026 (UTC)

Done I believe I covered the majority of your request Aloneinthewild (talk) 15:10, 5 September 2026 (UTC)

Thank you very much for taking the time to work through these updates. I really appreciate it. PeopleandPlanetSci (talk) 20:38, 5 September 2026 (UTC)

Follow-up request: remaining factual and career updates (COI)

Hello — I am Jessica Hellmann, the subject of this article, so I have a conflict of interest and am not making these changes directly. Thank you again to the editor who addressed my earlier request; the article is substantially improved. I have reviewed the updated article and noticed several remaining factual or outdated items. I would be grateful if independent editors would consider the following individually.

1. Add my leadership role with the Midwest Climate Adaptation Science Center (MW CASC).

Since 2021, I have served as the University/Consortium Director of the Midwest Climate Adaptation Science Center, a U.S. Geological Survey Climate Adaptation Science Center hosted by the University of Minnesota and involving a multi-institutional consortium. This is a significant current research leadership role that is not presently mentioned in the article.

Suggested wording in the University of Minnesota portion of the Career section:

“Hellmann is also the University/Consortium Director of the Midwest Climate Adaptation Science Center, a U.S. Geological Survey-funded consortium hosted by the University of Minnesota.”

Sources: https://www.usgs.gov/programs/climate-adaptation-science-centers/midwest-casc https://mwcasc.umn.edu/node/141 https://www.startribune.com/new-u-climate-center-is-a-win-for-region/600104278/

2. Correct the citation for the National Climate Assessment.

The article currently states, “In 2013 and 2014 she co-wrote the National Climate Change Assessment,” but the citation attached to this sentence is a 1975 paper on rat and rabbit myocardium and is unrelated to me or the National Climate Assessment.

I was a lead author on the biodiversity chapter of the technical input to the 2014 National Climate Assessment. I would suggest revising the sentence to something more precise, such as:

“Hellmann was a lead author on the biodiversity chapter of the technical input to the 2014 National Climate Assessment.”

Source: https://downloads.regulations.gov/EPA-HQ-OAR-2015-0827-9197/attachment_20.pdf

3. Update the professional-service information.

The article currently says that I serve on the board of the Great Plains Institute, the Science Advisory Council of the Environmental Law and Policy Center, and the governing committee of the Natural Capital Project. These are older roles and the statement is no longer current.

One current national board role that may warrant inclusion is the National Audubon Society Board of Directors. I joined that board in 2019 and continue to serve.

Sources: https://www.audubon.org/about/audubon-leaders https://www.audubon.org/news/experts-ecology-developmental-disability-join-national-audubon-society-board

I would be comfortable simply removing the obsolete service sentence if editors do not consider current board service sufficiently relevant for inclusion.

4. Consider modestly updating the description of my post-2015 work.

The article now correctly notes that I became director of the University of Minnesota Institute on the Environment in 2015, but most of the Career section still describes my earlier work. Since moving to Minnesota, my research and leadership have broadened from ecological responses to climate change to climate adaptation in natural and human systems, greenhouse-gas mitigation, interdisciplinary sustainability research, and environmental decision-making. The creation and leadership of the Midwest CASC is one significant part of that work.

I recognize that the appropriate scope and wording of this material are editorial judgments. If editors consider a brief addition appropriate, something along these lines would reflect the current focus:

“At Minnesota, Hellmann’s research and leadership have expanded to climate adaptation in natural and human systems, greenhouse-gas emission reduction, and interdisciplinary sustainability research. She has continued to work with governments and other organizations on climate adaptation and environmental decision-making.”

Sources: https://mwcasc.umn.edu/node/141 https://environment.umn.edu/about/leadership/director-jessica-hellmann https://www.mprnews.org/episode/2023/02/01/minnesota-makes-progress-in-cutting-emissions-from-electricity-more-work-to-do

5. Minor correction to photograph caption.

The new photograph is currently captioned “Hellman in 2025.” My surname is spelled “Hellmann.”

Thank you for considering these follow-up corrections. As before, I leave wording, weight, and inclusion to independent editors. PeopleandPlanetSci (talk) 19:10, 8 September 2026 (UTC)

I've corrected the typo with your name, that was my mistake. Aloneinthewild (talk) 20:50, 8 September 2026 (UTC)