Titles

• MA, 2019, Sustainability, School of Sustainability

Biography

Jessica is a Master of Arts student at the School of Sustainability. Her background is in environmental sociology, specifically in the social dimensions of sustainability. In this area, she has conducted qualitative research regarding natural resource management and sustainable energy transitions in Puerto Rico, focusing on stakeholder engagement and social acceptance of sustainable transitions. Through these research experiences, Jessica gained skills and interest in the areas of community engagement as a tool for sustainable policymaking.

Jessica is forming her Master's thesis based on urban resilience to climate extremes using the case of Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico. This work will ideally be relevant to current urban climate projections and building resilience for communities in the face of increasing climate hazards.

Research Assistant Experience

• Research Assistant, CRISP Type 2: Interdependent Electric and Cloud Services for Sustainable, Reliable, and Open Smart Grids, University of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez, 2015-2017 (link: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1541106)

Spoken Languages:

Spanish (native/bi-lingual); French (intermediate)

Education

• MA, Sustainability, Arizona State University, 2019
• BA, Environmental Sociology, University of Puerto Rico-Mayaguez, 2017

Expertise

• energy policy
• sustainability and energy
• urban resilience
• human dimensions of sustainability
• climate change adaptation law