Climate and Conservation Science Career Panel

Tuesday April 29, 3PM
Biltmore 2104

The Southeast Climate Adaptation Science Center with the Climate and Sustainability Academy at NC State invite you to a career panel with scientists who took an alternative path to academia for their careers in climate and conservation related fields.

RSVP Required

This event is in person only at NC State University in Biltmore 2104. This event will have light catering and refreshments, so please only RSVP if you plan to attend.

Speaker Biographies:

• Dr. Aparna Bamzai-Dodson is the Assistant Regional Administrator for the North Central Climate Adaptation Science Center (NC CASC). In this role, she undertakes stakeholder and partner engagement to identify strategic science goals, outputs, and objectives. She is also responsible for tracking budget planning and expenditures, organizing the solicitation and review of project proposals, and coordinating efficient and effective communication and collaboration among NC CASC-funded scientists. Aparna has a B.S. in Statistics and Mathematics from Virginia Tech and a Master of Environmental Management from Duke University with a focus on Global Environmental Change and has completed the coursework toward her Ph.D. in Atmospheric Science from the University of California, Berkeley. She completed her Ph.D. through the Department of Geography and Environmental Sustainability at the University of Oklahoma, with a focus on the theory and practice of engaging stakeholders in the creation of actionable science for climate adaptation. This research will provide an opportunity for the NC CASC to learn how to improve its practice of producing usable knowledge to support decision making.
• Dr. Laurie Hamon is a Pollinator Biologist with the North Carolina Natural Heritage Program. Laurie earned a PhD in Biology and Entomology from NC State University in 2022 with a thesis that focused on the pollination ecology of Venus flytraps. Since graduating, Laurie has also worked as a postdoctoral researcher and as an Endangered Species Conservation Biologist with the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation. Laurie was a Global Change Fellow in the 2018-2019 cohort.
• Kathryn Jewell, AWB® is the Lead Social Scientist for the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission. Her work focuses on social science that has practical implications for fisheries and wildlife management and is interested in understanding human behavior in the wildlife-associated recreation sphere. Her recent work includes a variety of projects such as a large-scale evaluation of the NCWRC’s Community Fishing Program, as well as species-specific projects on Trout anglers, Reservoir Striped and Bodie Bass anglers and White-tailed Deer hunters. She is a member of the American Fisheries Society, The Wildlife Society, and the SEAFWA Social Science Technical Committee. She holds a Master of Science in Fisheries, Wildlife and Conservation Biology and Bachelor of Science in both Zoology and Fisheries, Wildlife and Conservation Biology from North Carolina State University. She has been asked to give presentations and host workshops on social science in conjunction with the North Carolina American Fisheries Society and The Wildlife Society. Kathryn has written numerous technical reports for the NCWRC and has published articles in the Wildlife Society Bulletin, Human Dimensions of Wildlife, the Journal of Caribbean Studies and the Proceedings of the Southeastern Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies Journal.
• Hilary Morris is a User Support Specialist for the Southeast Conservation Blueprint. She also serves as the communications lead for the Southeast Conservation Adaptation Strategy (SECAS) partnership. She received a B.S. in Biology and B.A. in Environmental Science and Policy from Duke University and an M.S. in Natural Resources from NC State University. Her graduate research focused on forestry extension and the attitudes of professional foresters toward climate change. Hilary has more than 10 years of experience working in landscape scale conservation and science communication in the Southeast. She is passionate about connecting lands and waters to support thriving ecosystems, fish and wildlife populations, and communities. She believes in the power of strong partnerships, innovative science, and user-friendly tools to bring together the conservation community to achieve shared goals. Hilary was born and raised in North Carolina and lives in Raleigh with her husband Jay and their cats. When she’s not working, you can usually find her at choir rehearsal or in her garden.
• Lindsey Smart is a Climate and Ocean Scientist at The Nature Conservancy (TNC) with expertise in geospatial modeling, remote sensing, and ecosystem services valuation in blue carbon ecosystems. Her work with TNC largely involves global and regional assessments of the value of blue carbon ecosystems for climate, biodiversity, and people. She supports regional teams and partners in measuring the impacts of their conservation and restoration activities in coastal ecosystems. This work informs carbon market feasibility studies, TNC’s 2030 goals, and reporting mechanisms under the UNFCCC (e.g., Nationally Determined Contributions, GHG Inventories). Lindsey holds an MEM from the Nicholas School of the Environment at Duke University and a PhD from the Center for Geospatial Analytics at NC State University. During her PhD she focused on combining quantitative social science methods, participatory modeling, and geospatial analytics to explore human-environment interactions in a spatially explicit manner.