Meet the Team
Staff
Fellows + Interns
Previous Fellows + Interns
Solana Herold
Solana Herold (She/Her) was born and raised in San Diego, living in France for a few years in elementary school before returning. Having graduated from Canyon Crest Academy in May, Solana has committed to pursuing higher education with an Environmental Management and Soil Science degree at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo beginning in the fall of 2024.
As a Climate Education Student Intern, Solana worked closely with the Director of Education and Engagement in the summer of 2024 to support Climate Kids curriculum development and build Traveling Trunks and Explorer Backpacks.
Solana holds a deep interest in nature and the environment as they intersect with international policies, tourism, and (on another note) the food industry. In the past, she has worked with her community to install a bike lane in front of her school, collaborate in a poetry-dance show, and create a STEM curriculum for and with students in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
A strong contributor to her interests is her love for travel and the outdoors, whether that be in the backyard, across the country, or around the world. She has delved into adventures in France, Kenya, and a couple west coast national parks already, and hopes to continue pursuing depth, knowledge, and fun in the future. As well as excitement, Solana values time to reflect, and enjoys reading as often as possible, surfing, and writing the occasional piece.
Evan Foskett
As the Climate Education Student Intern, Even worked closely with the Director of Education and Engagement, Jeanette Starpine, to support the Climate Science Alliance's Climate Kids projects.
Evan Foskett (they/them) grew up in southern Maine and relocated to San Diego in 2020. As a graduating senior at the San Diego Met High School, Evan has committed to pursuing higher education at San Francisco State University, where they will undertake studies in environmental science commencing in the fall of 2024.
Their passion lies in the intersection of environmental sustainability, design, and product development. Evan is steadfast in their dedication to integrating eco-conscious principles in daily life through innovative design strategies.
Beyond academics, Evan’s interests extend to the creative pursuit of crocheting, as well as being an active advocate of the local LGBTQIA+ community.
Evan’s enthusiasm for contributing to a more sustainable future is palpable. They are eager to explore opportunities leveraging their design passion to advance environmental responsibility.
Nizhoni Tallas
Nizhoni began her work at the Climate Science Alliance in 2022 as a Climate Resilience Intern, then returned to the team in 2024 as an Indigenous Stewardship Fellow. In Fall 2024, she transitioned to Climate Science Alliance staff as the Community Resilience Specialist.
Learn about Nizhoni's 2022 internship here.
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Yá’át’ééh (Hello). Nizhoni is a proud member of the Navajo Nation and grew up in Rough Rock, Arizona. After high school, she attended Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University and graduated with her B.S. in natural resources with an emphasis on outdoor recreation management. She recently graduated with her master’s in natural resources. Her master’s work focused on understanding interpretative signage throughout the Southwest region's parks, national monuments, and recreational areas. She analyzed language usage in interpretive signage to see how various outdoor locations shared Indigenous histories and stories.
She has worked on projects that span Indigenous food, water, climate, and energy systems. She is also passionate about increasing Native representation in outdoor recreation and STEM fields. She was a Udall, Gliman scholar and a Sequoyah Fellow of the American Indian Science Engineering Society (AISES).
Advisors
Technical Advisors
Previous Advisors
Althea Walker
Althea Walker is a descendant of the Nez Perce, Hopi, and Gila River people and is an enrolled member of the Gila River Indian Community. As the Director of Community Resilience for the Climate Science Alliance, Althea convenes the Tribal Working Group on a monthly basis to identify priority management needs and strategies that fosters dialogue and partnership building for climate adaptation and resiliency. Althea is a Certified Public Manager. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Environmental & Resource Management and Master of Science in Environmental Technology Management from Arizona State University.
Althea has deep roots and experience working with Tribal and Indigenous communities across the southwest and nation, with specific expertise in weaving together Indigenous Traditional Ecological Knowledge and climate adaptation to contribute to the scientific, technical, social, and economic advancements of Tribal and non-Tribal communities.
She is a Sequoyah Fellow (lifetime member) of the American Indian Science & Engineering Society (AISES) and a former editorial board member of the AISES magazine, Winds of Change. She is a contributing author for the first and second iteration of the Status of Tribes and Climate Change Report. She is a former steering committee member for the Indigenous Foods Knowledges Network, and a board member for the hipéexnu’ kíi’u núun wisíix Inc., whose mission is to promote, protect, and revitalize the Nimiipuu (Nez Perce) language and cultural ways of life. Althea previously worked for the American Indian Higher Education Consortium at the Southwest Climate Adaptation Science Center as the Tribal Climate Science Liaison.