Phoenix Eskridge- Aldama
Phoenix Eskridge-Aldama is a PhD student at Northern Arizona University in the Earth Sciences and Environmental Sustainability program. Her research interests revolve around the topic of climate obstruction, or interventions meant to delay or prevent effective and sufficient climate change mitigation. Her current research focuses on factors which contribute to the success or failure of climate-related initiatives in Arizona. She currently serves as Vice President of the NAU Graduate Student Government, Vice President of the Diversity & Inclusion Group for the School of Earth and Sustainability, and as President of the NAU Climate Action Committee. She has been an instructor at NAU for the course ENV 115 – Introduction to Climate Change and a teaching assistant for courses ENV 385W – Energy, Resources, and Policy and ENV 490C – Senior Seminar in Environmental Sciences & Studies.
Aden Stern
Aden is a Ph.D. student studying Earth Sciences and Environmental Sustainability from Cleveland, Ohio. He is interested in environmental justice, power, water, sociology, and political ecology. Aden is actively working as a GA for the NOAA-funded project “Enhancing Cultural and Ecological Resilience in Arizona: Assessing Tribal Priorities to Guide Forest Restoration Projects” alongside Dr. Diana Stuart. He is also the Director of Climate Action for Graduate Student Government and the Vice President of the Climate Action Committee at NAU. In June 2023, he graduated from the University of Denver – Josef Korbel School of International Studies with a Master’s degree in Global Environmental Sustainability (Specializing in Environmental Policy and Environmental Justice). In Denver, he conducted research for a project called “Assessing Environmental Justice Contributions in Research and Public Policy: An Applied Framework and Methodology.” In 2021, he earned his Bachelor’s degree in Sociology from the University of Colorado-Boulder.
Anna Vaughn
Anna received a B.S. in Environmental Science from the University of Redlands in California and an M.S. in Geography from NAU. Anna’s academic interests include climate adaptation, natural resource management, environmental justice, political ecology, and science communication. Anna’s dissertation work examines the interconnected social-ecological system dynamics of the Emory oak tree (Quercus emoryii) and the cultural significance of Western Apache acorn harvest practices.
Emily Grams
Emily Grams is a Master’s student in Northern Arizona University’s (NAU) Environmental Science and Policy program. Emily’s research focuses include radical and transformative climate solutions, such as banning the extraction of fossil fuels and phasing out fossil fuel subsidies. After graduating Emily aims to draft climate change and environmental legislation.
Emily received her Juris Doctor from Lewis & Clark Law School, where she also earned a certificate in Natural Resources and Environmental Law. Emily obtained her Bachelor of Science from NAU, her major was Environmental Science and Global Sustainability. Emily is a licensed attorney in the state of California and in the United States District Courts of the Central and Eastern Districts of California. Prior to starting her Master’s degree, Emily practiced law in Los Angeles, California.
Diana Stuart 