James D. Proctor

Proctor launched EcoTypes, an educational and research initiative, in 2017. EcoTypes is a free, anonymous online survey with associated resources designed for participants to explore a broad range of environmental ideas known as axes (18 total), which have yielded three statistically-derived underlying patterns called themes, and five theme-based frameworks or EcoTypes, with names such as Small is Beautiful and Indigenous Justice. As of spring 2022, the EcoTypes survey has been completed nearly 8000 times, with cross-national collaboration and a larger scholarly project on environmental frameworks underway.

Born the son of Robert and Virginia Proctor, Jim grew up, became an Eagle Scout, and graduated from high school near Canyonville, a small town in Southern Oregon. Here, he was exposed to a rural culture that would influence his future interests and scholarship, and to church music and the singer-songwriters of the 1970s that would influence his songwriting, which has resulted in over 40 original songs, including a 2011 EP he recorded with his daughters. As a National Merit scholar, Jim completed an undergraduate degree in religious studies with honors at the University of Oregon (1980). He then spent almost four years abroad in Swaziland with the Peace Corps. On his return, he attended a civil engineering program at the University of New Mexico, and proceeded to earn a M.S. in Environmental Engineering (1987) as well as a M.A and PhD (1992) in Geography from the University of California, Berkeley. In 2005, Jim moved from California back to his home state of Oregon, where he has lived since.

James "Jim" D. Proctor (born December 27, 1957) is an American geographer, the editor and author of numerous books and articles, and Professor of Environmental Studies at Lewis and Clark College in Portland, Oregon (2005–). Before coming to Lewis and Clark College, he taught in the Department of Geography at the University of California, Santa Barbara (1992–2005). He is the father of two daughters, Joy and Elise, a Kojosho black belt (1987–), singer-songwriter, and cyclist. In 2002, Proctor founded the Alder Creek Community Forest educational nonprofit in his birthplace of Canyonville, Oregon. Proctor is also a senior fellow at the Breakthrough Institute.