Johnny Quispe is a doctoral candidate at Rutgers University in the Graduate Program of Ecology and Evolution. Mr. Quispe uses interdisciplinary approaches to address issues related to climate change, coastal ecology, and coastal resilience. His research integrates social, economic, engineering, and natural systems to make coastal communities resilient to natural disasters and climate change. Through his research Mr. Quispe is investigating the effects of sea-level rise to coastal wetlands, identifying migration opportunity zones for marsh migration, and exploring ways to mitigate damages from future flooding and hurricanes through the use of nature/natural based defenses. Mr. Quispe works to connect and reconnect communities with their shorelines, especially in low-income inner cities where communities might not have access to waterfronts and do not have the opportunity to interact with surrounding waterways.

Over the past few years, Johnny interned at the New Jersey Department of State and the Office of the Lieutenant Governor, New Jersey Future, and at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 2 Headquarters. Johnny was a Rutgers University Coastal Climate Risk and Resilience Fellow ’17-‘19, Science Explorer Fellow ’18-‘19, New Leaders Council Fellow ’18 a recipient of the Ecological Society of America’s Katherine S. McCarter Graduate Student Policy Award ’18, an Eagleton Institute of Politics Felllow ’17. Johnny is currently a board member on the Lower Raritan Watershed Partnership and a UCAR Next Generation Public Policy fellow. He is committed to bridging the gap between science and decision making and is planning for a career in science policy.