Sophie Pesek

Pronouns: she/her

Education 
BA, Environmental Science and Engineering, Harvard University

Year Admitted 
2023

Research Areas 
environmental economics, remote sensing, machine learning, climate impacts and adaptation

Faculty Advisor 
Tamma Carleton

Bio
Sophie Pesek is a PhD student at the Bren School, utilizing economic and machine learning tools to assess climate change impacts and adaptation policies. Prior to her studies at UCSB, she conducted research at Resources for the Future, an environmental economics research institution, where her work focused on community adaptation to coastal flooding, extreme weather events, and the energy transition. Sophie has also worked as a data analyst for a water sensor startup and a water market research firm. Driven by a passion for global equity and environmental justice, she has contributed to community initiatives addressing water access in Tanzania, coastal resilience in Suriname, and waste treatment in Ghana. She graduated from Harvard University in 2020 with a BA in Environmental Science and Engineering and hopes to bring a solutions-oriented approach to designing equitable climate policy.