My current project is focused on identifying sociopolitical factors that, in conjunction with hydrologic, ecological, and economic data, signal community readiness to nature-based solutions for flood-risk mitigation. I conduct research that centers community-led adaptation and hazard mitigation to better understand how people assess risk and adapt to disasters.
I received my Ph.D. from Northeastern University in the Marine and Environmental Sciences program, working under the supervision of Dr. Damon Hall . My dissertation examined the social, technical, and ecological factors impacted by increased flood events along the Missouri River to identify comprehensive and stakeholder-centered strategies for flood resiliency planning and policymaking. My work is motivated by my experiences of the tangible, cumulative effects of frequent floods in my previous home of New Orleans.
Previously, I was a research social scientist at the Missouri Department of Conservation working to understand how to connect conservation management and environmental education with Missouri communities. I was the 2024 Coastal Sustainability Fellow at The Nature Conservancy (TNC) of Massachusetts in partnership with Northeastern University’s Coastal Resilience Institute, where I supported the Coastal team in engaging with living shorelines practitioners to advance the practice in New England.