Nancy is Research Manager for Global Nature Watch (GNW) within the Food, Forests and Water program. GNW is an international initiative originated by WRI to provide improved data and information about the world’s forests by merging the latest technology with on-the-ground partnerships. Nancy works to identify thematic and geographic research priorities for GNW and leads the acquisition and generation of new data and analytical content. She also supports in-country capacity building efforts and collaborates with GNW staff and partners to produce and communicate original, policy-relevant research that further advances global understanding of critical drivers and dynamics of forest change.

Prior to joining WRI, Nancy worked as a Carbon and Land Use Specialist in the Ecosystem Services unit of Winrock International, where she managed Winrock’s spatial analysis team, published several peer-reviewed papers on forest carbon cycling and spatial modeling of land cover change, and provided technical guidance to multiple stakeholders on climate change mitigation options in the land sector.

Nancy holds a B.S. in Biology and Environmental Studies from Tufts University in Medford, MA and a Ph.D. in Systems Ecology from SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry in Syracuse, NY. Her research focused on the measurement and modeling of forest carbon in a Puerto Rican rain forest.