Meet the Team
Karen Askeland is a Walton Family Foundation Sustainable Water Markets Fellow and is interested in sustainable groundwater management, payments for ecosystem services, and water policy in the western United States. Before attending Bren, Karen worked at WaterSmart Software, where her responsibilities included municipal contracting, data management, strategic marketing, and business operations. Prior to WaterSmart, Karen spent two years at Environmental Defense Fund, gaining communication experience while focusing on environmental issues in the western U.S. She supported the organization’s Habitat Exchange initiative, a market-based approach to wildlife and land-use conflicts that compensates landowners for creating or maintaining wildlife habitat. Karen holds a BS in environmental science and management with an emphasis in watershed science and a minor in soil science from UC Davis. She has experience in traditional and social media outreach, project management and GIS.
James Baglia is specializing in Water Resources Management at the Bren School, and is currently taking courses in GIS, River Restoration, and Fate and Transport of Pollutants. Prior to Bren, he completed a BS in Geology and two years of hydrogeology and fluvial geomorphology research on the effectiveness of streambank restoration projects within New York City reservoir watersheds. He also held an internship with the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation, in which he analyzed the groundwater quality impacts of landfills in southeastern New York. He has experience with GIS, geological interpretation, groundwater elevation and quality evaluation, fieldwork, surveying, watershed delineation, soil and water quality analysis, and water budget determination. He is eager to use these skills to develop a strong understanding of the Gallatin Valley geology and hydrology and to address spatial and hydrological factors associated within the groundwater mitigation bank, such as effects on streamflows, water table elevations, groundwater flow systems, and water quality.
Ria Boner studied Biological Anthropology at the University of California, San Diego and has since spent more than six years in wildlife research and management. She came to Bren to transition to the field of environmental economics; she is interested in the economic factors that motivate human interactions with the environment and organizational structures that might improve the human-environment relationship. Ria has a strong quantitative background and experience in research design and implementation. Her current coursework focuses on econometrics, data analysis and reporting, and natural resource economics, and she looks forward to exploring the economic and financial components of mitigation bank design.
Leah Fine studied Environmental Studies and Geology at Amherst College, with a particular focus on hydrogeology, geomorphology, and surface processes. While at Amherst, she collaborated on a research project to evaluate the social and environmental targeting of Mexico’s payments for hydrological services program, sparking her interest in market-based water management. After completing her undergraduate degree, Leah worked at Conservation Law Foundation in Boston, where she assisted with research and advocacy related to fisheries management and habitat protection and managed two marine conservation websites. At Bren, Leah is specializing in Coastal Marine Resources Management with a focus on fisheries and aquaculture; she is also a science communications intern at the National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis. She is broadly interested in pragmatic environmental solutions that create positive incentives for effective resource management. She brings to the team a background in GIS, modeling, data analysis, and environmental communication.
David Gruen is a northern
California native who is passionate about sustainable water development in the
West. David graduated in 2010 from the University of Michigan with a BA in
environmental studies before returning to the San Francisco Bay Area to promote
residential water efficiency. After interning at Wholly H20, a local nonprofit
dedicated to spreading the adoption of water-efficient practices, David joined
WaterSmart Software, where he helped the innovative startup convince residents
to use water wisely through behavioral science strategies and social
norms. At the Bren School, he hopes to
learn more about the process of crafting and implementing effective, sustainable
water policy. David is particularly interested in dam removal campaigns. In his
free time he is an avid hiker and backpacker; he most recently spent several
weeks camping and fishing throughout central Oregon.
Rachel O’Connor is originally from New York, were she attended SUNY Geneseo and received her BA in Geography. After graduating, she worked as a GIS/Environmental Analyst at a consulting firm in New York; her projects included pathogen load assessments and sewering feasibility studies, for which she conducted literature reviews and spatial analyses to provide clients with science-based solutions. She also held a seasonal position as a hydrology crew member with the U.S. Forest Service based in the San Juan Mountains of Colorado, where she was tasked with locating remote mountain springs and recording their attributes, as well as stream restoration and wetland mitigation projects. She is now studying Water Resources Management at Bren and works as the Conservation Intern at the Goleta Water District. Her interests in water markets lie in the restoration of streams and wetlands with in-stream flows, engaging with stakeholders as a means of conservation education, seeking natural water storage solutions, and using GIS to analyze and solve problems.
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