I am committed to seeing both the human and climate impacts of Arctic change incorporated into public understanding and policy. I have published more than 100 peer-reviewed studies, briefed federal lawmakers, contributed to international science reports and presented at several UN climate change conferences. I hold leadership and advisory roles in major multi-institution initiatives including the Permafrost Carbon Network, U.S. Advisory Council for Adaptation Science, and the International Conference on Arctic Research Planning. I was featured in the documentary film Permafrost Now, was a contributor to the award-winning book The Big Thaw, and I presented my research on the TED stage. As lead of the Polaris Project, I have mentored dozens of students in Arctic research, and I was honored to receive the Sulzman Award for excellence in education and mentoring from the American Geophysical Union.
I am an Arctic climate scientist whose focus on permafrost thaw is motivated by an acute awareness of the risks it poses. I have worked extensively across the Arctic, in Alaska, Siberia, and elsewhere, combining field research of permafrost and carbon cycling with remote sensing and modeling to assess current and future climate impacts across the Arctic.
I lead the Permafrost Pathways Initiative, which brings together leading experts in climate science, policy action, and environmental justice to assess the local to global impacts of permafrost thaw and other climate changes in the Arctic, in order to inform climate adaptation and mitigation strategies. I work with Indigenous communities, scientists, resource managers, and policymakers at all levels to craft just and effective strategies for limiting harm from Arctic warming.
