Kristen Wilson

Kristen (Podolak) Wilson has a diverse work experience, spanning from their early career at National Geographic to their current role as a Lead Forest Scientist at The Nature Conservancy. At The Nature Conservancy, they have held several positions, including Senior Scientist, Ecologist, Watershed Conservation Program Director, and Sierra Nevada Project Associate. In these roles, Kristen has focused on various aspects of conservation, including watershed planning, restoration projects, and developing conservation strategies. Kristen has also worked collaboratively with research partners and stakeholders to improve forest resilience, understand the impacts of restoration and land protection on biodiversity, carbon storage, water, and fire risk. Additionally, they have directed meadow conservation projects, developed science studies, and led landscape-scale planning studies. Prior to their work at The Nature Conservancy, Kristen worked at the University of California, Berkeley as a Faculty Lecturer, teaching an undergraduate course on Environmental Science for Sustainable Development. Early in their career, they gained experience at National Geographic, where they assisted the Executive Editor, worked as a Photographic Coordinator, and served as an Associate Producer, contributing to research, photo editing, image handling, and multimedia web features.

Kristen (Podolak) Wilson holds a Ph.D. in Environmental Planning from the University of California, Berkeley, which they obtained between 2007 and 2012. Prior to that, they completed a Master of Science degree in Environmental Science and Policy from The Johns Hopkins University from 2003 to 2005. Kristen's educational journey began at Dartmouth College, where they earned their Bachelor of Arts degree in Ecology and Geography from 1997 to 2002.