Bridging Urgency and Patience: My Path from Climate Activism to Published Research

Reflecting on my journey from an undergraduate at Lewis & Clark College (LC) to a Ciriacy-Wantrup Postdoctoral Fellow at UC Berkeley, I realize how foundational my Environmental Studies (ENVS) major was to my career.

My recent lead-author publication in Nature, “Mortality Caused by Tropical Cyclones in the United States,” analyzes 500 hurricanes and tropical storms that hit the U.S. between 1930 and 2015, revealing elevated mortality rates lasting up to 15 years after each storm. These indirect deaths, estimated at 7,000 to 11,000 per storm, are 300 times greater than official direct death counts. This research, co-authored with Solomon Hsiang, Professor of Global Environmental Policy at Stanford University, traces its origins to the transformative education I received at LC.

One of the most valuable lessons I took from the ENVS program was the importance of slow, careful research to understand the world and shape impactful policies. At the time, this wasn’t always easy for me to grasp, especially as I was deeply involved in climate activism, organizing direct actions to urge policymakers to address climate change. The urgency of activism contrasted starkly with the slower pace of research, but over time, I’ve come to appreciate the necessity of patience in science. My coursework helped me connect environmental dynamics with societal outcomes, which now shapes how I approach my research on disasters, climate change, and public policy.

Liz’s (Un)Natural Disasters course (ENVS 311) was a standout experience. It sparked my interest in how human and environmental decisions influence disaster outcomes—an interest that forms the basis of much of my current research on tropical cyclones and their impact on populations. That class opened my eyes to the human element in natural events and how decisions can mitigate or exacerbate disaster impacts. Equally pivotal was Jim’s course that taught several geospatial techniques (ENVS 220). We applied mapping tools to measure LC campus’ land use change and food deserts in Portland—skills that I now rely on regularly. While I didn’t fully appreciate their importance at the time, the ability to analyze spatial data has become crucial in my work today. The foundations I built in this class helped me navigate the complex task of mapping disaster vulnerabilities in my Nature paper.

Lewis & Clark was pivotal not only in helping me understand environmental systems but also in equipping me with practical tools for analysis. I’ve carried those lessons through a PhD at Princeton University and into my research career. This recent publication is as much a reflection of those early experiences as it is of the hard work my co-authors and I have put in over the years. Though I had always meant to write a blog post about my experience as an ENVS major, I hope this serves as a reflection of the program’s impact. LC deserves credit for helping me get to this point, and I’m deeply grateful for the education I received there.

Read more about Rachel’s career on her website.