About

Preceptor = Assistant Instructor

Precept = Discussion Sections

I am a 6th-year PhD candidate at the Princeton School of Public & International Affairs, in the Science, Technology, & Environmental Policy program. I conduct collaborative, applied research on climate adaptation and environmental justice policy – interweaving topics in multi-level governance, urban planning, and decision sciences. My current research projects include:

Archival documentation and qualitative analysis of the impacts of the Biden-era Justice40 initiative on federal climate adaptation financial assistance programs.
Comparison of the funding mechanisms of historical and contemporary/in-development flood buyout programs run by New Jersey, New York State, New York City, and Philadelphia -- and conducting geospatial analysis on resulting differences in outcomes.
A set of online, quantitative surveys focused on justice preferences in the design of climate adaptation flood policies, conducted in three rounds: a) residents of 5 cities globally (Buenos Aires, Johannesburg, London, New York City, and Seoul); b) residents across New Jersey; c) local government officials across New Jersey.
A case study examining the collaborative governance of and community engagement process for a regional planning project, known as the NY & NJ Harbor & Tributaries Focus Area Feasibility Study (or NYNJHATS), led by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

Through these projects and others, I am actively involved in community-based and co-produced work, including via the regional Megalopolitan Coastal Transformation Hub (MACH) and NYC Resilient Coastal Communities Project. I am also the lead instructor for a co-taught Climate & Environmental Justice course with the NJ Prison Teaching Initiative, and previously worked as a Graduate Fellow at the NYC Mayor's Office of Climate & Environmental Justice. At Princeton, I am a member of the Center for Policy Research on Energy & the Environment, the Behavioral Science for Policy Lab, and the SPIA in NJ initiative. I was also twice the Assistant Instructor (aka preceptor) for an undergraduate course titled, The Environment: Science and Policy. In 2023, I also participated in the prestigious Young Scientists Summer Program at the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA) in Vienna with other PhD students from around the world.

I am also interested in environmentally-just waste management and an end to the uneven siting and cumulative impacts of hazardous waste facilities – and have been involved in anti-incineration campaigns, local composting program development, and zero waste education. Additionally, I am fascinated by the dynamics of international climate negotiations, and have taught and led university observer delegations to the annual UNFCCC COP.

Prior to my PhD, I served for 5 years as the first Sustainability Program Manager at Swarthmore College, PA, helping to launch the Office of Sustainability and to facilitate environmental and climate institutional decision-making while reporting to C-suite administrators. I spearheaded myriad initiatives related to zero waste and environmental justice, decarbonization of campus energy systems, climate science communication, engagement with international climate negotiations, and local community partnerships. This was a new, growing office – and I was, at first, its sole staff member. My work therefore entailed substantial budget management, institutional strategic planning, staff hiring & oversight, large-scale project implementation, committee leadership, event planning & public speaking, and curriculum development.

Practitioner Experience

Photos by Larry Kesterson, Swarthmore College

While working full-time at Swarthmore, I completed a part-time, executive master's degree in Sustainable Urban Development from the University of Oxford. I also hold a BA in Psychology from Swarthmore, and subsequently worked as a full-time Research Assistant at the Earth Institute at Columbia University. My hobbies include practicing languages (Spanish & Korean), cooking & eating new food, kayaking & being outdoors, and reading/watching sci-fi.