Research Team
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Damon Hall
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Coastal Sustainability Institute
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 advised by Tarla Rai Peterson. 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
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Coastal Sustainability Fellow- The Nature Conservancy
Graduate Research Assistant Marine and Environmental Sciences Ph.D. Candidate Northeastern University, Boston, MA Coastal Sustainability Institute, 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
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Graduate Research Assistant
Public Policy Ph.D. School of Public Policy & Urban Affairs, Boston, MA, USA I am a PhD candidate 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. |
Bryn Anderson
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Graduate Research Assistant
Marine and Environmental Sciences Ph.D. Northeastern University, Boston, MA Coastal Sustainability Institute, Nahant, MA, USA I am a PhD student in the Marine and Environmental Sciences Department, currently working with Dr. Hall and a team of hydrologists to develop a model to understand the effects of tile drainage on stream flow and temperature using a stakeholder-driven approach. I aim to focus on creating sustainable solutions to complex environmental challenges facing communities. I hold a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Science from the University of Redlands and a Master of Science in Environmental Science from the University of Gothenburg, Sweden. My previous research examined the biological impacts of ocean acidification on sea urchin larvae in the Gullmar Fjord, Sweden and understanding efforts to mitigate ocean acidification in Washington State. I am committed to contributing to research that communities can use to adapt to a changing climate. I spent a year bringing outdoor science education and data collection to high school students, including in underserved communities, in Northern California and am passionate about making hands-on science education more accessible. |
Nylah Hill
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Undergraduate Sustainability Science Research Assistant Co-op Fall 2024
B.A. International Affairs and Economics, M.A. in International Affairs Northeastern University, Boston, MA I am a 4th year International Affairs and Economics Major who is also pursuing a Master of Arts in International Affairs with a Concentration in Sustainability and Climate Change Policy through the Plus-One Program. I’m most interested in the intersection between economic development and sustainability policy, specifically how an interdisciplinary approach can be used to enact sustainable policies as a mechanism to encourage economic development internationally. During my previous co-op, I worked closely with progressive political organizations working to enact change on the state-level, where I had the chance to work on a variety of different policy issues, including public transportation policy and labor rights. This experience is what sparked further interest in policy research. In the Sustainability and Social Change Lab under the Northeastern Department of Psychology and School of Public Policy, I worked as an undergraduate Research Assistant examining the social, cultural, and political dimensions of sustainability challenges. My interests and academic path have been highly influenced by my time abroad, as I’ve done a semester abroad at Northeastern University London and a five-week program in Egypt, Jordan, and the U.A.E. |
Lyn Flores
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Graduate Research Assistant
Marine and Environmental Sciences Ph.D. Northeastern University, Boston, MA Coastal Sustainability Institute, Nahant, MA, USA I am a Marine and Environmental Sciences PhD student from San Diego, California and a graduate from Smith College in 2024 in Anthropology with a minor in Landscape Studies. My journey in Anthropology led me to intern in the Columbia River Gorge between Oregon and Washington, where I studied oral legends of Native Americans and realized how much knowledge was embedded in land. I continued to study Native American culture while I was interning at The Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History, where I learned that the answers to climate change and earth system problems lied in human practices. My newfound passion for understanding the relationships of people and ecology led me to taking a hand-on course in Sustainable Food Production and Consumption in Copenhagen, Denmark, where I visited farmers and restaurant owners who are working to combat the structural problems to make fresh, healthy, and affordable food available to all. I most recently completed a six-week hands-on learning intensive in Monterey, California, with Middlebury’s School of the Environment where I visited more farms, water reclamation facilities, redwood forests, and got a close-up view of Monterey Bay’s refuge of unique ecology. This journey has allowed me to learn about all the wonderful ways people see the world. I hope to help communicate these perspectives for the purpose of helping people to understand our planet. Anthropology has empowered me with lenses for solutions, and I want to use this way of thinking to empower others too. All of these ideas and places connect, which is something I take with me wherever I go. |
Jennifer Vargas
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Graduate Research Assistant; Marine Science Center Fellow
Human Behavior & Sustainability Sciences Ph.D. Northeastern University, Boston, MA Coastal Sustainability Institute, Nahant, MA, USA As a social scientist and multi-method hydropolitics researcher in the Sustainability Science Lab, I am keenly interested in water’s entanglements with different forms of human value. As a Marine Science Center (MSC) Fellow and member of the inaugural cohort of the Northeastern University College of Science Ph.D. Program in Human Behavior and Sustainability Sciences (HBSS), I study human cognition and decision-making in water-scarce environments, which I hope can inform water policy interventions and community-based practice. I hold a B.Sc. in Foreign Service from the Georgetown University School of Foreign Service (SFS) in Washington, DC as well as an M.Sc. in Public Policy and Management from Carnegie Mellon University (CMU), where I studied behavioral economics with George Loewenstein, focusing on how people make high-stakes decisions across a wide array of immediate and distal needs. Before my move to Boston, I spent over a decade as a behavioral science researcher, United Nations (UN) humanitarian worker, and policy analyst. My past consulting engagements have included advising the Office of the Chief Economist of the U.S. Department of State on infrastructure investment as well as conducting fieldwork on behalf of international development organizations, like the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Bureau for Africa, the USAID Bureau for the Middle East, and the UN World Food Programme (WFP). In the latter role, from 2013 to 2015, I was based in Ankara, where I oversaw all communications regarding WFP food assistance to over 220,000 Syrian refugees living in 22 refugee camps in Turkey. In addition to reviewing the effectiveness of an $108 million food distribution program, which WFP subsequently scaled up around the Middle East, I was responsible for regular briefings to international statutory donors, including the European Commission Humanitarian Aid Operations (ECHO) staff. More recently, I have advised state and local floodplain managers, water resource engineers, and federal disaster preparedness leaders at Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) on community engagement, risk communications, and pluvial flood mitigation planning efforts. |
Adrian Baez
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Lab Mentor Program Scholar 2024-2025
Marine Biology B.S. Northeastern University, Boston, MA I am a 1st year undergraduate student pursuing a Bachelor’s in Marine Biology at Northeastern University and Northeastern University’s Lab Mentor Scholar (LaMP). LaMP invites selected undergraduate students first hand access and experience into professional research settings. Coming from a small town in New Jersey, I have a love and passion for nature that molded my personality and values. I hope to learn more about different methods of conservation and how we can mitigate some of the damages that have been affecting our planet for years. I have a specific interest in marine ecosystems, but my goal as a prospective scientist is to work in conservation to preserve the beauty of our world. |
Alivia Borros |
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Undergraduate Sustainability Science Research Assistant Co-op, Spring 2025
B.S. Ecology & Evolutionary Biology Northeastern University, Boston, MA Spring 2025 |
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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
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We are always looking for talented undergraduate and graduate research assistants to join our work across several projects. At the moment, for the 2025-2026, we have no funded openings for PhD students.
Prospective Students: Please send: a statement of your interest in the position noting relevant coursework, CV, and the names and contact details of three references in a single pdf file to: [email protected]. Visit the Northeastern University Graduate Studies (phd.northeastern.edu/program/marine-and-environmental-sciences-2/) website for application information for the Marine and Environmental Sciences program. Deadline: rolling |
Graduates
Aidan David-Pennington, BS 2024
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
Aidan David-Pennington, BS 2024
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
Collaborators
Charles van Rees, University of Georgia, Odum School of Ecology
Gabriela Garcia, Northeastern University, Marine & Environmental Sciences; Policy School
Baolin Deng, University of Missouri, Missouri Water Center, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
Darren Ficklin, Indiana University, Department of Geography
Susan J. Gilbertz, Montana State University-Billings, College of Business
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, UK, Geography & Environment Unit, Environmental Dynamics Lab
Christine Costello, Penn State University, Agricultural and Biological Engineering
Ronald McGarvey, Institut d'Économie Scientifique Et de Gestion, IÉSEG School of Management, Operations Management
Gabriela Garcia, Northeastern University, Marine & Environmental Sciences; Policy School
Baolin Deng, University of Missouri, Missouri Water Center, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
Darren Ficklin, Indiana University, Department of Geography
Susan J. Gilbertz, Montana State University-Billings, College of Business
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, UK, Geography & Environment Unit, Environmental Dynamics Lab
Christine Costello, Penn State University, Agricultural and Biological Engineering
Ronald McGarvey, Institut d'Économie Scientifique Et de Gestion, IÉSEG School of Management, Operations Management
