Careers Outside of Academia

Dr. Ruth Akintoye is the Associate Director of Adaptation Strategy at the American Flood Coalition, where she leads efforts to strengthen flood resilience through innovative, system-level solutions. Trained as an Environmental Scientist, throughout her career, Ruth brings technical expertise to strategy development, policy advancement, program planning and evaluation, research, and project management. Her work helps shape and inform initiatives across government programs, nonprofit organizations, academia, the private sector, and community partners. She is passionate about translating complex scientific information into clear insights that drive practical, wide-scale action. Ruth holds a bachelor’s degree in Environmental Science from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, a master’s degree in Public Health from Drexel University, and a doctorate in Environmental Science from Louisiana State University

Johnny Quispe, PhD is the Interim Director of Cities Programs at the Nature Conservancy, a global non-profit conservation organization. Dr. Quispe received his doctorate from Rutgers University’s Graduate Program of Ecology and Evolution. Prior to attaining his doctorate, Johnny earned his Bachelor of Science in International Environmental Policy, Institutions, and Behaviors at Rutgers University. He then went on to continue his focus on environmental issues in New Jersey by working on conservation, restoration, and remediation sites in NJ via nonprofit, public, and academic sectors. He uses his interdisciplinary background to work on issues related to climate change policy, coastal and city resilience, equitable conservation, and the implementation of nature-based solutions. His work integrates social, economic, engineering, and natural systems to increase the resilience of communities to climate change. Through his work and leadership, Dr. Quispe, a first-generation Latin-American college graduate, works to increase equitable conservation, integrate local knowledge in environmental projects and policies, give agency to community-based groups and interested parties in prioritizing environmental needs, and develop holistic and systemic solutions to address climate change.