Ada Ekpezu Olumba

Pronouns:  she/her

Bio
As a 2018 graduate in Environmental Resource Management from the University of Calabar, Ada Ekpezu Olumba built a comprehensive foundation in conservation and resource governance. Working at the Cross River State Ministry of Environment’s Environmental Protection and Assessment Department deepened her expertise and exposed her to the policy, bureaucratic, and political challenges in Nigerian environmental management. Ada’s honors thesis, “Resource Governance and Community Resistance,” explored how local perspectives and institutional trust influence conservation’s legitimacy, highlighting the intricate link between political context and environmental outcomes.

Inspired by these experiences, Ada is currently pursuing a Master of Environmental Science and Management at the Bren School, University of California, Santa Barbara, specializing in Environmental Policy. At Bren, she researches the policy and political challenges of managed shoreline retreat in California, analyzing adaptation strategies using the buyout-leaseback model and examining how governance, equity, and local values inform adaptation decisions.

After Bren, Ada aims to pursue a Ph.D. in Political Science, focusing on political ecology and institutional dynamics of environmental policy in the Global South. Her long-term goal is to become an environmental consultant and, ultimately, a professor, contributing to evidence-based policy and mentoring future environmental leaders through research and political analysis.