People
The Water & Climate Policy Lab is a dynamic group of scholars and students with a shared interest in research that examines the political, institutional, and justice dimensions of water and climate change challenges, and informs policy solutions at the local, state, and federal levels.
Sara Hughes
The Water & Climate Policy Lab is led by Professor Sara Hughes, an Associate Professor in the School for Environment and Sustainability (SEAS) and Associate Director of the Cooperative Institute for Great Lakes Research at the University of Michigan. She holds a PhD in Environmental Science and Management from the University of California, Santa Barbara and MS and BS degrees in Fisheries and Wildlife Management from Michigan State University. Prior to joining SEAS in 2019, Professor Hughes served as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Political Science at the University of Toronto, and a postdoctoral fellow at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the National Center for Atmospheric Research.
For more information and CV please visit https://seas.umich.edu/research/faculty/sara-hughes
Katie Mika
Katie is a postdoctoral research fellow at SEAS focusing on resilience in the Great Lakes. She holds a PhD and MS in Civil and Environmental Engineering from the University of California, Los Angeles, where she focused on measuring and improving water and sand quality at beaches in Southern California. Prior to joining SEAS, she helped the City of Los Angeles improve the sustainability of their water management through a postdoc at UCLA and a position in the Mayor’s Office where she helped develop an updated Sustainability Plan for LA. She has recently moved back to Michigan after spending many childhood summers in local lakes, and is very excited to be working on a project that will help sustain these resources for future generations.
Marja Copeland
Marja is a postdoctoral research fellow at SEAS. Her research interests focus on the intersections among water, energy, and urbanization. She is primarily interested in how watershed geomorphology and stream biogeochemistry are affected by the legacy of human land development. Marja holds a PhD from the University of Pittsburgh in Geology and Environmental Science.
Olivia David
Olivia is a doctoral student at SEAS. Her research interests broadly include questions around how and why policy and politics may advance social and environmental (in)justice, generally at the comparative international level. Her master’s thesis research, also at SEAS, focused on how government responses to droughts in California and the Western Cape Province of South Africa widened inequalities. Olivia is also affiliated with the UM Ford School’s Science, Technology, and Public Policy (STPP) program.
Yuer Wang
Yuer Wang is a graduate student pursuing dual degrees in Environmental Policy & Planning and Public Policy. Her research interests include climate change policies, focusing on just climate and energy transitions for marginalized communities. She is also interested in the environmental relationships of local communities (particularly vulnerable ones), as well as the cultural and political aspects of natural resource degradation. Yuer holds a B.S. in Environmental Policy Analysis and Planning from UC Davis, where she researched policy entrepreneurship, micro-mobility policy governance, and fracking policies in the Marcellus Shale region.
Mirit Friedman
Mirit Friedman is a doctoral candidate in the Urban and Regional Planning program, studying environmental planning and urban climate change adaptation. Mirit is interested in how cities formulate partnerships to execute climate adaptation planning agendas in light of constrained public budgets and how these adaptation projects respond to issues of climate justice. She comes to the Water & Climate Policy Lab to support research that looks at how fiscal environments impact spending on water systems.
Amy Van Zanen
Amy is a master’s student at SEAS studying Environmental Policy. Her areas of interest include Great Lakes water management, water economics and how governance structures can promote sustainable water use and improve water quality. Prior to graduate school, Amy worked at several nonprofits in Washington, DC focused on effective government and governance initiatives. A proud Michigander, Amy hails from Grand Rapids, Michigan and intends to stay in the Mitten upon graduation.
Will Sollish
Will is a master’s student at SEAS studying Environmental Policy and Planning as well as Ecosystem Science and Management. Will is interested in water policy and how land management decisions can impact water and ecosystem quality. Before coming to SEAS, Will graduated from Michigan with a degree in Political Science and International Studies and has experience working in DC in the government and non-profit sectors. Outside of school, Will enjoys climbing, hiking, and coffee.
Latia Leonard
Latia Leonard is a master’s student at SEAS studying Environmental Policy & Planning. Her areas of interest include water quality, water affordability & access, infrastructure, climate resiliency, environmental education & youth leadership development. Before coming to SEAS Latia worked on several community environmental justice initiatives across the state of Michigan including helping establish the first community-based water testing lab in Flint. In her free time, Latia enjoys reading, family, and cheering for her favorite team the Detroit Lions.
Moira Salazar
Moira is a master’s student at SEAS studying Environmental Policy and Planning. Her areas of interest include water quality and equity, climate adaptation strategies and policy, justice issues, and international climate policy. Before coming to Michigan, she worked as an ecologist in Atlanta Ga. Moira is from Atlanta and holds a BS in Geoscience from Georgia State University. Outside of school interest include playing music, hiking, and adventuring around Michigan.
Alyssa Schubert
Alyssa is a Ph.D. student in Environmental Engineering with a focus on drinking water. Her research interests include the characterizing the distribution of human risk (and trust or risk perceptions) in drinking water and investigating the use of enhanced monitoring strategies to achieve more uniform access to quality drinking water. She enjoys taking walks with her dog, weightlifting, and trying out new recipes.
Matthew Barnett
Matthew is a postdoctoral research fellow at SEAS. He holds an MS in Environment and Natural Resources from Ohio State University and a PhD in Sociology from Utah State University. His dissertation research focused on exploring the uranium-related views and experiences of residents of the rural Four Corners Region, where many communities struggle with environmental and health impacts left behind by the uranium production era. He has also researched the drivers of household water consumption in a semi-arid region (Northern Utah) and the implications of nontraditional housing arrangements (i.e., rentals, multiunit buildings, and residences governed by private associations) for urban water management in the Intermountain West. He is interested in the social and political factors that shape public water systems and identifying structural inefficiencies that can be addressed to promote water sustainability without putting additional strain on already vulnerable individuals and communities.
Caroline Resor
Caroline is a dual-degree master’s student at SEAS and the Ross School of Business. Her interests are in climate change adaptation policy and renewable energy development. Before coming to Michigan, she lived in Washington D.C. and worked in renewable energy finance and flood resilience. Caroline has a BA in Environmental Studies from Dartmouth College in Hanover, New Hampshire. Outside of school, she spends her time playing squash and dancing.