Samantha is interested in the intersection of economic resiliency and climate resiliency, exploring ways to help communities build resilience to the physical and economic impacts of climate change. In summer 2021, Samantha served as a Michael Dukakis Governor’s Fellow working in Wyoming, where she identified economic development strategies for rural, coal-dependent communities.

Samantha was born in central South Dakota and raised in a farming family. Early on, she understood that a healthy environment and economic viability were intertwined in her agricultural community. Samantha holds a B.S. in environmental engineering from the Colorado School of Mines. Previously, she worked as a water resources engineer in Minnesota, assisting local governments to reduce environmental risks to homes and businesses.