Research Team

Damon Hall

Associate Professor, Marine and Environmental Sciences
Associate Professor, School of Public Policy & Urban Affairs

My research examines the interactions between social and ecological systems where science, policy, and culture meet. My research is audience-focused addressing questions of how to make usable knowledge for sustainable transitions. My research is transdisciplinary in that it engages stakeholders, managers, and scientists to design transformational solutions that make sense to how people—whose behavior is the target of policy—commonly experience their world. 

My work addresses two related themes: (1) the representation and communication of social–ecological systems in decision making and (2) meaningful stakeholder participation in environmental policy and science.

I completed a PhD in Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences as a Boone & Crockett PhD Fellow in Conservation Policy at Texas A&M University. My dissertation research was sponsored by the US Army Corps of Engineers and involved in-depth social field research to understand riverfront landowners’ perceptions of federal, state, and local riparian management on the Yellowstone River in Montana. I hold a MA in Communication and a BS in Agriculture concentrating on Forestry and Natural Resources both from Purdue University. I was a National Science Foundation-supported Sustainability Science Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the University of Maine's Sustainability Solutions Initiative directed by David Hart and chaired by Robert W. Kates. Following the Postdoc, I was on faculty at Saint Louis University in the Center for Sustainability and Biology Department and the University of Missouri School of Natural Resources and Chemical & Biomedical Engineering where I coordinated the Sustainability Certificate and co-directed the Missouri Water Center.

​​We are located in the Marine Science Center (MSC) at historic East Point in Nahant, Massachusetts. The MSC juts into the ocean five miles north-northeast of the entrance to Boston Harbor.

Teaching:
PhD Marine and Environmental Sciences 
PhD Human Behavior and Sustainability Science (Fall 2024)
Masters/PhD Public Policy
​MS Environmental Science & Policy 

Links:
GoogleScholar
ResearchGate
Loop
​OrcidID

Angela Catalano 

Graduate Research Assistant
Marine and Environmental Sciences Ph.D.
Northeastern University, Marine and Environmental Sciences, Nahant, MA, USA

I am a PhD candidate in the Marine and Environmental Sciences program, supporting Dr. Hall in Sustainability Science Lab research and in the classroom. My research focuses on flooding and disaster risk management within repetitive-loss riverfront communities. My dissertation examines the social, technical, and ecological factors impacted by increased flood events along the Missouri River to identify comprehensive and stakeholder-centered strategies for flood resiliency planning and policymaking. My work is motivated by my experiences of the tangible, cumulative effects of frequent floods in my previous home of New Orleans. In my circuitous route to Northeastern, I earned a B.A. and M.A. in Cinema, Media, & Digital Studies from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, taught as a full-time instructor at the University of New Orleans, and worked as a curator and projectionist for film festivals across the U.S. I was a 2023 American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Catalyzing Advocacy in Science and Engineering (CASE) Workshop participant and am a member of the MOST Policy Initiative's Local Science Engagement Network (LSEN). 

Gerardo Gentil Orozco

Graduate Research Assistant
Public Policy Ph.D.
School of Public Policy & Urban Affairs

I am a PhD student in the Public Policy program, working on research with Dr. Hall on stakeholder engagement and flood resilience in the Missouri River. Prior to joining the Sustainability Science Lab, I served as Assistant Director of Latin American Programs at Penn State Law, where I oversaw partnerships and the development of recruitment initiatives in Latin America, while conducting research on water-related questions and supporting teaching in Negotiation and Dispute Resolution. I have worked in the submission of contributions to bills in the Colombian Congress as well as reports to the United Nations Bodies from my previous role at the Observatory for Marine and Coastal Governance, having experience in research and high-impact litigation. I was a distinguished student at Universidad del Norte in Barranquilla-Colombia, Teaching Assistant in the area of ​​public law, member of the Group of Strategic Litigation and Public Interest, and leader of several models of multilateral organizations. My academic and professional interests are primarily focused on the interactions between water policy/governance, water diplomacy, and environmental law. I hold an LL.M. (Master of Laws) with a Concentration in Energy and Environmental Law from Penn State Law, and an LL.B. (Bachelor of Laws) from Universidad del Norte, Colombia.

Aidan David-Pennington

Undergraduate Research Assistant
Environmental Sciences BS; Honors College 
University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, USA

I am a sophomore from Kansas City, MO studying Environmental Sciences in the School of Natural Resources. I am assisting research for the Missouri Water Center and examining municipal-level insect pollinator policy toward the development of sustainable cities. I hope to spread awareness of sustainability policy, create resources for cities to draft their own laws, and develop new ways of thinking about sustainable development and conservation for urban environments. 

We cannot solve pressing sustainability challenges with the same logics, norms, and capacities of today’s social systems. We recognize that everyone has unique lived experiences, and we are committed to providing an environment that is inclusive and equitable across age, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, ability, race, religion, nationality, citizenship, veteran status, or socio-economic background.

Changing the problem-solving capacities of communities through inclusion of often silenced voices is the centerpiece of my research practice. Inclusivity to leverage the advantages of diversity is an essential component in the effectiveness of our research, teaching, and service.
We are committed to open, honest, and accessible science with transparency in data acquisition and sharing. 

The Hall Sustainability Science Lab has zero tolerance for discrimination or harassment of any kind. We support and celebrate each member as individuals as well as scientists. 

Join the Lab: Seeking Graduate Research Assistants 

We are currently seeking undergraduate and graduate research assistants to join our work on community engagement in nature-based solutions and environmental policy. One funded graduate Ph.D. position is available but we will consider students with their own source of funding for lab-related projects. Applicants must be able to relocate to the Nahant/Boston area and meet Northeastern admission requirements. 
To apply: Please email a (1) resume/CV (preferred), (2) a brief statement of your interest in the lab, qualifications, as well as your research and career goals, and (3) any other relevant details to: dam.hall@northeastern.edu. Materials will be reviewed as they are received. 

Graduates 
M. Umer Sarfaraz, MS 2023
Maddie White, BS 2023
Nicole Amezcua Terherst Morfin, MS 2022
Edoardo Desiderio, visiting PhD, University of Bologna, 2022
Emma Heienickle, BS 2022
Brandon Adeshakin, visiting MoLSAMP Fellow BS, Truman State Univ., 2022
Kathryn Kidd, MS 2021
Lizette Perez, BS 2021
Maddie Emerson, MS 2020
Andrea Burr, PhD 2018
Leah Kunkel, MS 2018
Molly Laycob, MS 2018
​Spencer Ruggles, MS 2018
Rebecca Steiner, MS 2018
Alissa Benchimol, MS 2017
John Hamill, MS 2017
​Nicholas McCreary, MS 2017
Nicole Schaeg, MS 2017
Bram Boettge, MS 2015
Sarah Burke, MS 2015
Amelia Fisher, MS 2015
Amy Hargis, MS 2014
Jen Myerscough, MS 2014

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Collaborators

Ronald McGarvey, IÉSEG School of Management, France, Operations Management
Gerardo R. Camilo, Saint Louis University, Department of Biology 
Darren Ficklin, Indiana University, Department of Geography
Susan J. Gilbertz, Montana State University-Billings, Director of the Environmental Studies Program
​Chris Lowry, University at Buffalo, Department of Geology, Physical Hydrogeology Lab
Jason Knouft, Saint Louis University, Department of Biology 
Eli D. Lazarus, University of Southampton, Geography & Environment Unit, Environmental Dynamics Lab 
Rebecca K. Tonietto, Department of Biology, University of Michigan-Flint
Michael Quartuch, Cornell University, Human Dimensions Research Unit, Department of Natural Resources
Matthew Anderson, Eastern Washington University, Geography
Christine Costello, Penn State University, Agricultural and Biological Engineering
Gail Langellotto, Oregon State University, Department of Horticulture
Jamie McEvoy, Montana State University, Department of Earth Sciences
Carla Atkinson, University of Alabama, Department of Biological Sciences
Lucas C. Ward, Rocky Mountain College, Director of the Environmental Management and Policy Program
Krista Capps, University of Georgia, Odum School of Ecology, Savannah River Ecology Laboratory