People

PhD Students

Ashley Dancer

(co-advised with Matt Burgess)

I am an Air Force Veteran and current PhD student at CU Boulder in the Environmental Studies Department. I’m a CIRES Graduate Student Fellow, IBS Graduate Student Associate, and was previously on Denver’s Sustainability Advisory Counsel, Science and Research Committee. I have a B.S. in meteorology, MBA in Sustainable Real Estate Development, M.S. in Environmental Studies, and Graduate Certificate in Data Science Statistics.


I have experience in different qualitative social science methods and quantitative methods—including data science statistics, econometrics, and dynamic systems modeling. The research that contributed to my Master’s thesis won a Food Studies International Award for Excellence in 2018. I was also awarded a 2021 Graduate School Diversity Recruitment Fellowship and CIRES Graduate Student Research Grant in 2024.


My research interests vary, but I’m currently focused on exploring possible economic and population growth futures and what these futures could mean for society, the environment, and geopolitics. I’m also interested in researching effective strategies for creating favorable environmental policy outcomes.


Dissertation research areas:


Other interests:


Hobbies/Activities:


LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashley-dancer/

Email: ashley.dancer@colorado.edu 

Nisha Koppa

Hi!! I am a second-year PhD student in Environmental Studies at the University of Colorado, Boulder. My research interests are mainly in understanding impacts of extreme weather events and climate change adaptation in agriculture sector (with a focus on Global South). Generally, I love talking about research, history, food, culture, and music.

Email: nisha.koppa@colorado.edu 

Lambert(Bei) Lin

Greetings! I am a first-year PhD student in Environmental Studies at the University of Colorado, Boulder. My current research interests include species distribution models, machine learning application in biodiversity, as well as statistic downscaling method. In my spare time, I love all kinds of movies (Marvel fan), Go chess, billiards, basketball, running and coffee. Live Long and Prosper🖖

PS: Happy to discuss reasearch anytime, I use Email and message more often!

Email: lambert.lin@colorado.edu 

Phone (WhatsApp): 5103459790

LinkedIn

Instagram

Naia Ormaza Zulueta

(co-advised with Zia Mehrabi at the Better Planet Lab)

I’m a third-year PhD candidate at the ENVS department and the Mortenson Center for Global Engineering and Resilience at the University of Colorado Boulder. 

With a background in Physics and Economics, my work centers on quantitative analysis of environmental human rights. I focus on where and how these rights are violated, the complex intersections of rights across various regions, and in-depth analyses of specific dimensions (such as the right to a safe climate or to live, play, and work in non-toxic environments). I have diverse experience across both private and non-profit sectors.

Check out some of my (less academic, more informal) work:

For a full CV, contact: Naia.OrmazaZulueta@colorado.edu

Chris Quinn

I am a third-year PhD student in environmental studies (ENVS) and the peep lab at CU Boulder. My research interests include climate change impacts and adaptation, evaluation of land management decisions and actions, environmental influences on health, adaptation to heat, and analysis and selection methods for future climate scenarios. I am particularly interested in urban forests and the social-ecological systems that shape them. 

My dissertation research examines air temperature variation as a function of tree canopy in Boulder’s urban forest, investigates urban forest management practices around the U.S. using mixed methods, and assesses historical and future climate change on public lands. 

My background includes sociology, public health (epidemiology), and health services research. While in the ENVS PhD program I have worked with the National Park Service Climate Change Response Program as a Research Assistant through CU's Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences (CIRES).

View some of my past work at my Google Scholar page

Email: christopher.quinn-1@colorado.edu

Old people

Steve is a computer scientist turned economist turned whatever it is that he is now. He tries to keep up with the youngsters.

Primary interests: climate impacts on agriculture & fisheries; biodiversity conservation; machine learning & policy evaluation.

steve.j.miller@colorado.edu
www.stevejmiller.com

Alums

PhD

Ian Luby (UMN), Bixuan Sun (UMN), Kristy Lee (UMN)

MS

Rabia Addison (UMN)

Undergrad

Erin Simone (Honors '24), Ziad Lien (Honors '23), Allie Riley (Honors '23), Ben Woods (Honors '23)