Climate Change - What it means for our Planet, Nevada and our Community

The Nevada Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (NDCNR) announced Dr. Kristen Averyt as Nevada’s first State Climate Policy Coordinator. Dr. Averyt will play a key role in developing policy, budget, and technology pathways to help Nevada address climate change and reduce greenhouse emissions in all sectors of Nevada’s economy, including leveraging the expertise available across the Nevada System of Higher Education (NSHE). This critical role is supported through a grant to the State of Nevada from the US Climate Alliance in partnership with NSHE.

Dr. Averyt’s role as State Climate Policy Coordinator compliments her role as Research Professor at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) focusing on climate resilience and sustainability. Prior to joining UNLV, Dr. Averyt served as President of Nevada’s Desert Research Institute (DRI). She holds a PhD from Stanford University, and her research portfolio covers a range of issues including the energy-water nexus, western water challenges, and regional impacts of climate change. Dr. Averyt shared in the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize awarded to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, served as a lead author on the 2014 US National Climate Assessment, and was a Fulbright Fellow.