Katie Arkema - Fulbright NEXUS Scholar

Home Country: United States

Grant Dates: 2012/2013

Katie Arkema is a scientist with the Natural Capital Project, a partnership between Stanford University, The Nature Conservancy, World Wildlife Fund, and the University of Minnesota.  Her research is focused on understanding how human activities and climate change influence benefits humans rely on from natural environments.  Katie has developed models and software for quantifying and valuing these services -- clean water, food resources, protection from flooding and storms, climate regulation, and opportunities for recreation and aesthetic enjoyment.  A primary goal of her research is to bring science capacity to bear on challenging policy- and decision-making processes.  In collaboration with her colleagues, government and non-governmental partners worldwide, Katie is using these models to inform marine spatial planning, infrastructure permitting, and climate adaptation strategies.  In all of her projects, Katie engages with stakeholders to understand the most pressing issues and to design approaches and tools needed to inform management.  Two of Katie’s recent efforts are the development of an Integrated Coastal Zone Management Plan for the country of Belize and a nation-wide assessment of green infrastructure protection from sea level rise and storms for the coastline of the United States.  Katie received her Ph.D. in marine ecology from the University of California, Santa Barbara.

Her undergraduate degree is in ecology with a minor in Latin American studies from Princeton University.