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Meet the Team

Staff

Amber Pairis
Amber Pairis

Founder and Lead Advisor

Paula Ezcurra
Paula Ezcurra

Operations Manager

Connor Magee
Connor Magee

Research and Data Applications Lead

Kat Schroeder Mora
Kat Schroeder Mora

Graphic and Web Designer

Althea Walker
Althea Walker

Co-Director and Community Resilience Lead

Paula Sternberg Rodríguez
Paula Sternberg Rodríguez

Science Program Manager

Will Madrigal, Jr.
Will Madrigal, Jr.

Tribal Capacities and Partnerships Program Manager

Shannon Magee
Shannon Magee

Indigenous Land Rematriation Specialist

Diane Terry
Diane Terry

Co-Director and Creative Lead

Jeanette Starpine
Jeanette Starpine

Intergenerational Education & Engagement Program Manager

Mary Jane Andreas
Mary Jane Andreas

Indigenous Stewardship Coordinator

Fellows + Interns

Jada McCovey
Jada McCovey

Tribal Climate Stewardship Intern

Meliza Le Alvarado
Meliza Le Alvarado

California Sea Grant Fellow

Levi Hill
Levi Hill

Climate Media Fellow

Previous Fellows + Interns

Kat Schroeder Mora
Kat Schroeder Mora

Kat Schroeder Mora (they/she) grew up on Kumeyaay land in San Diego. They have always been an artist, playing with art-making since she was big enough to hold a pencil. As a creative professional, Kat has experience teaching art, live painting, leading community workshops, and graphic designing in corporate, non-profit, and grassroots spaces. They earned their BFA in Art & Design with a concentration in Studio Art from California Polytechnic University in San Luis Obispo. Her studio practice has become about healing, exploring the process of making paintings as a way to ground the body after trauma and to connect with other survivors. Their creative freelance work is focused on supporting marginalized people who are working towards a better world for their communities.

Originally a Graphic and Web Design fellow, Kat is grateful to continue working with the Climate Science Alliance as the Graphic and Web Designer where they feel privileged to be adding her creative energy to the Alliance’s efforts and honored to have the opportunity to build relationships with the Alliance’s many community partners.

Marissa Weaselboy
Marissa Weaselboy

Marissa Weaselboy (Yomba Shoshone Tribe enrolled citizen / Chippewa-Cree Tribe of Rocky Boy Montana) served as the Indigenous Climate Stewardship Lead in a shared position with the Desert Research Institute (Reno, NV) and the Climate Science Alliance. In her role, she lead efforts to strategize and implement methods that encourage collaboration and strengthen community relationships within a reciprocal and respectful framework. Specifically, she guided efforts to develop, organize and support the Great Basin Tribal Alliance, which intends to bring together Tribal partners to form a Tribal Working Group for Nevada.

Karla Nailea Monroy
Karla Nailea Monroy

Karla Nailea Monroy (she/her) joined the team in 2023 as a NASA intern between the Desert Research Institute (DRI) and Climate Science Alliance (Alliance). During her spring season with the Alliance, Karla worked closely with the Alliance team on climate science education efforts as part of the Climate Kids Hub and Traveling Trunk programs, and in broadening outreach efforts underway as part of the Baja Working Group and bi-national partnerships. Read Karla's internship reflections here.

Advisors

Nikki Cooley
Nikki Cooley

Advisor

Megan Jennings
Megan Jennings

Advisor

Tamara Wall
Tamara Wall

Advisor

Laura Engeman
Laura Engeman

Advisor

Julie Kalansky
Julie Kalansky

Advisor

Shasta Gaughen
Shasta Gaughen

Advisor

Melodie Lopez
Melodie Lopez

Advisor

Technical Advisors

Martha Aidé Escalante Garcia
Martha Aidé Escalante Garcia

Climate Kids Mexico

Wesley Ruise, Jr.
Wesley Ruise, Jr.

Stewardship Pathways: Fire

Anna Lucia López-Avedoy
Anna Lucia López-Avedoy

Climate Kids Mexico

Ana Gloria (Martha) Rodriguez
Ana Gloria (Martha) Rodriguez

Baja Working Group

Staff
Advisors
Technical Advisors
Fellows + Interns
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