Tanya Heikkila

Tanya Heikkila, PhD, is a Professor at the University of Colorado Denver School of Public Affairs, where she leads the Master of Public Policy program. Her research and teaching focus on policy processes and environmental governance. She is particularly interested in how conflict and collaboration arise in policy processes and what types of institutions support collaboration, learning, and conflict resolution. Some of her recent research has explored these issues in the context of interstate watersheds, large-scale ecosystem restoration programs, and unconventional oil and gas development. Tanya has published numerous articles and books in her field and has participated in several interdisciplinary research and education projects.

She enjoys collaborating with faculty and students, especially through the Center for Policy and Democracy at CU Denver, which she co-directs. Tanya also serves as a member of the Delta Independent Science Board for the state of California. Prior to coming to CU Denver, she was a post-doctoral fellow at Indiana University’s Workshop in Political Theory and Policy Analysis and an Assistant Professor at Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs.  

A native of Oregon, she received her BA from the University of Oregon, then completed her MPA and PhD at the University of Arizona.