Megan Verner-Crist

Megan is a third-year Ph.D. student in the Science, Technology, and Environmental Policy (STEP) program. She graduated from the University of Chicago in 2018 with degrees in ecology and environmental studies. After her undergraduate studies, she did field research focused on the impact of climate change on plant communities in the Colorado Rockies, southeastern Australia, and central Florida. For the past several years, Megan has worked in local government in the Bay Area, implementing holistic, data-informed conservation approaches to better manage creeks and open space lands, and helping local farmers and ranchers implement carbon-sequestration practices on working landscapes. She is interested in plant conservation, climate change biology, local land management, and the policy-implementation gap. Outside of work, Megan likes to run, read fiction, cook, and find cats to pet.