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:
Historical trends in eco-economic decoupling of resource use and pollution at global and national scales
Future fertility trends in developed nations and potential impacts of pro-natal policy and cultural shifts
Potential Impacts of de-growth policy on the population of the United States
Other interests:
Political polarization of climate change
National security/defense implications of different "sustainable" growth strategies (de-growth, a-growth, green growth)
Sustainable economies
Preparing democracies for slowed economic growth
Economic distribution and inequality
Impact Investing
Sustainable Business Practices and non-traditional ownership models
Hobbies/Activities:
Rock climbing and yoga
Table-top games and RPGs
Hiking
Listening to Podcasts and Audiobooks
Travel and random adventures
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
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:
An interactive Observable notebook where I analyze the heat stress faced by agricultural workers in Sub-Saharan Africa, exploring how climate conditions could potentially affect in the present and in the future labor and health in these regions.
A quick summary from my first chapter where I examine five out of six core environmental human rights, assessing violations and intertwined inequalities across different regions.
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)