Who We Are
Anne Toomey, Co-Founder and Executive Director
I am an Associate Professor of Environmental Studies and Science at Pace University in New York City, and my research focuses on developing creative ways of using scientific research to help solve real-world problems. My work has appeared in environmental science journals such as Conservation Letters, Biological Conservation and Ambio, and has additionally been featured in popular science media, such as the science news website Massive Science and BBC Futures. I have conducted research in both urban and rural settings in the United States and Latin America, most notably in the Bolivian Amazon, where I worked with community leaders, environmentalists, and policymakers to explore engagement with and perceptions of science.
Monica Palta, Co-founder and Lead Scientist
I am a Water Quality, Health and Justice Cooperative Extension Specialist at the University of California-Irvine in Irvine, California. I am an environmental scientist, and my past and current research has been conducted in wetland and aquatic systems in the northeastern, southeastern, and southwestern United States. A central focus of my work is on interactions between urban infrastructure and environments and associated benefits to humans, and how these interactions may be altered by global change. I collaborate with social scientists, engineers, community-based organizations, and environmental managers to investigate sources and mitigation strategies for water pollution, as well as develop green infrastructure and environmental management strategies to facilitate greater environmental benefit, equity, access, and resilience to climate change in urban communities.
Audrey Jenkins, Senior Consultant
I am a doctoral student in Public and Urban Policy at The New School and hold an MPH in health policy from Mailman School of Public Health. My research explores how urban landscapes can support informed public participation in the policy and management of social-ecological systems, using ecological democracy as a normative framework. For my dissertation, I am looking at the networks involved in community composting and organic waste management in NYC. I also help coordinate the NYBG Herbarium + Community Gardens Initiative, a community-led group working to increase public access to science and humanities in community-stewarded green spaces in the city. With PSS, I am currently leading a two-year evaluation for the Urban Agriculture program at the New York Restoration Project (NYRP).