Jo Ellen Force was born and raised in central Iowa and received her Bachelor of Science in Chemistry, Math, and Education from Iowa State University. She received her Master of Science in Natural Resource Management and Ph.D. in Systems engineering and Analysis both from Ohio State University. In 1979 she and her husband moved to the northwest where she was hired for a visiting professorship at the University of Idaho in their College of Natural Resource’s Department of Forest, Rangeland and Fire Sciences. She was one of three women in the department. She was an Assistant Professor from 1979-1985 and received tenure in 1985 and became full professor in 1992. Force was the department Head of Forest, Rangeland and Fire Sciences from 1999 to 2013 and has been a Professor Emerita since 2013. She was an active member of the Inland Empire Society of American Foresters and was chair from 1989-1990.

Force has been a champion of women in natural resources and has focused her research on the relationships between people and natural resources, forest policy, forest social science, public involvement, and community forestry. She has received numerous awards for her research and service including the Forester of the Year, Outstanding Researcher Award, Woman of the Year from Athena, and the Gifford Pinchot Medal National Award from SAF.