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Our Team

Kris (Christine) May, PhD PE

Kris (Christine) May, PhD PE

CEO and Founder, Climate Adaptation and Engineering

Kris is a coastal engineer and climate scientist providing leadership and technical expertise to support climate change resilience and adaptation strategy development.

Kevin Befus, PhD

Kevin Befus, PhD

Expert Hydrogeologist, Associate Professor

Kevin is an Associate Professor at the University of Arkansas with expertise in understanding groundwater flow and dynamics in coastal setting, including the response of shallow groundwater to sea level rise.

Daisy Ramirez Lopez

Daisy Ramirez Lopez

Environmental Engineer and Community Engagement

Daisy uses her engineering and analytic skills to assess and communicate climate vulnerabilities and risk, and her engagement skills to build trust with local communities and encourage youth participation.

Hilary Papendick, MSc

Hilary Papendick, MSc

Senior Coastal Resilience and Policy Specialist

Hilary Papendick is a leader in climate resilience and mitigation. She integrates her policy and equity expertise at the local and state level to support community resilience through a governance lens, as physical adaptation strategies alone are not enough.

Mike (Michael) Mak, MSc PE

Mike (Michael) Mak, MSc PE

Director, Innovation, Flood Risk and Climate Adaptation

Mike analyzes global and regional scale climate datasets, creates customized tools, and translates best available science to inform climate resilience, risk reduction, and risk communication.

Meagan Brown, MSc

Meagan Brown, MSc

Environmental Data Scientist

Meagan is an environmental data scientist with a focus on environmental justice, understanding systemic inequities, and assessing the intersection of wildfire risk in groundwater dependent ecosystems.

Lindsay Luchinsky, MSc

Lindsay Luchinsky, MSc

Senior Environmental and Climate Data Scientist

Lindsay's expertise spans sustainability, biodiversity, conservation, groundwater, green energy, and environmental policy. Lindsay excels at complex data analysis that communicates climate and flood risk and supports recovery efforts.

Sierra Ramer

Sierra Ramer

Environmental Scientist and Anthropologist

Sierra is an environmental scientist and sustainability analyst with expertise in GIS and data analysis. Her anthropology background allows her to investigate the human connection between climate change and its impacts.

Juliette Finzi Hart, PhD

Juliette Finzi Hart, PhD

Director, Science Policy and Engagement

Juliette is an oceanographer, focused on marine and climate science policy, specializing in translating complex science into usable and accessible information for all audiences.

Maryellen Hearn, MSc

Maryellen Hearn, MSc

Senior Resilience and Flood Risk Specialist

Maryellen is a climate resilience and floodplain management specialist, with a focus on flood risk assessments, communicating climate risks, and developing adaptation pathways to support long-term risk reduction.

James Neher, PhD Candidate

James Neher, PhD Candidate

Climate Science Analyst

James is an atmospheric climate scientist and python wizard supporting regional climate modeling and analysis of existing and future extreme storms, such as atmospheric rivers and bomb cyclones. James analytic skills support communicating future climate risks.

Katie Riles

Katie Riles

Environmental Scientist, GIS and Data Analyst

Katie combines python, GIS, and web tool integration to develop custom web applications, interactive online maps, and dashboards to distill and communicate an arsenal of complex information to decision makers and the public.

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