ICGC Scholar Alumni Spotlight: Olivia LeDee

Posted on
February 2, 2022

We spoke with Olivia LeDee (ICGC alum) about the Midwest Climate Adaptation Science Centers (CASC) consortium. She was in the 2002 ICGC Scholar cohort and has a PhD in Conservation Biology. She is currently the Acting Federal Director for the U.S. Geological Survey at the Midwest CASC consortium.

Can you tell us a little bit about the inspiration behind the Midwest CASC consortium? What opportunities and challenges does the present historical juncture of (extra)ordinary environmental disasters offer for this project? 

The Midwest is well-known for its lakes, rivers, forests and grasslands and there is high interest in their conservation and management. Because of the realized and anticipated effects of climate change on the region, stakeholders demanded additional attention and resources. As a result, federal funding was appropriated in fiscal year 2020 to establish a center to focus on the threats to natural and human communities in the Midwest. Over the next five years, USGS, in partnership with the Midwest CASC consortium, will conduct and support research to address regional climate issues including: heavy rainfall and drought, loss of winter, altered hydrological regimes, novel terrestrial landscapes, and opportunities for adaptation.

It is exciting to see that this consortium reflects a partnership among different tribal institutions, state agencies, and nonprofit organizations. What ethical and intellectual commitments anchor this partnership? And what processes are put in place to motivate and facilitate the collaborative efforts?

For complex, long-term issues like climate change, partnerships are essential. For the CASCs, engagement and actionable science are core to our mission. Research should be responsive to the needs of resource managers and engage them in a meaningful manner.  We provide training in the ethics in science, traditional ecological knowledge, stakeholder engagement and other areas to foster productive, equitable dialogue. With the assistance of an advisory committee, we frequently evaluate how we are meeting the needs of our partners and our mission.

What journeys, dreams, or agitations brought you to the Midwest CASC consortium? 

I believe in going all in on a issue to foster change. Climate change is it for me. It has been great to focus 100% of my attention on this threat to biodiversity and humanity. I hope that our work in adaptation mutes some of the worst effects of climate change.

Can you speak to the journeys you walked alongside the MacArthur/ICGC community? How did these journeys help shape your professional trajectory thus far, if at all?  

I valued the broad perspectives that I was exposed to in the MacArthur/ICGC community. There are many issues that need scholarship and attention, and while you may be working on only one issue, it was reassuring to see your talented friends working on others. When we head into the professional world, we are often again segregated back into disciplines. I try hard to carry those voices and conversations, that I miss very much, with me in my present role.