Team
Principal Investigator
Kirsten L.L. Oleson
I am an interdisciplinary sustainability scientist. My overarching goal is to ensure that the value of nature is captured in national, state, and community decision-making. I employ tools from economics, social science, ecology, and decision analysis to provide rigorous foundations for discussions of what trade-offs societies are willing to make in the name of increasing short-term economic productivity. I engage with national and state policy makers and local communities over a wide range of resource management, economic development, and conservation issues that are of direct and urgent relevance to the state of Hawaiʻi and other Pacific Islands, such as food security, climate adaptation, and sustainable economic growth. I teach the graduate core courses, as well as a graduate policy analysis class.
I serve on numerous advisory committees, including for the United Nations Global Coral Reef Fund, The United Nations System of Environmental and Economic Accounts Ocean Accounts working group, the Global Ocean Accounting Partnership, the Hawaiʻi Division of Aquatic Resources Holomua, and Blue Forests. I was confirmed to the City and County of Honolulu Climate Change Commission in 2024. In 2021, I was awarded a Pew Marine Conservation Fellowship.
Current Lab Members
Collaborators
Ashley Lowe MacKenzie
Ashley is an Assistant Professor within the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Management and applied environmental economist specializing in the intersection of social and ecological systems, particularly in public lands and outdoor recreation. She received a PhD in Applied Economics from Oregon State University and joined the lab in June of 2023. Her research addresses emerging questions in outdoor recreation and public land management, including driving factors for demand, management strategies and various quantitative nonmarket valuation methods. Ashley’s current lab project is focusing on valuing the impacts of ocean acidification on coral reefs through ecosystem provision of recreation and tourism.
Post-Doctoral Fellows
PhD Students
Louis Chua
Master’s of Science Students
Lara Noren
Lara is pursuing a master’s degree in Natural Resource and Environmental Management at the University of Hawai’i at Mānoa. She is interested in the role environmental economics plays in natural resource management policies, especially in nearshore marine environments, such as coral reefs. Formerly, Lara was a Susan L. Williams National Coral Reef Management Fellow working to identify innovative funding solutions to coral reef management challenges with the State of Hawai’i, Division of Aquatic Resources. She possesses a Bachelors of Science in Marine Biology from the University of North Carolina Wilmington.
Ann Nyambega
Ann, an MS student, specializes in employing Theory of Change methodology for conducting localized monitoring and evaluation of Ecosystem-based Adaptation projects in Hawaii. Holding a bachelor’s degree in Environmental Planning and Management, she brings a wealth of experience in facilitating the implementation of climate adaptation projects in the Kenyan context. Ann’s research underscores her commitment to advancing and enhancing sustainable localized solutions and enhancing resilience within the socio-ecological landscape.
Ruivaldo Freitas Viana
Ruivaldo Freitas Viana graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics and a minor in Visual Communication from Luther College. Recently, he worked as a Research Associate for the Center for Behavior and the Environment at the nonprofit organization Rare. There, he supported primary and secondary research on the intersection of behavioral science, climate change, and entertainment media. He is passionate about exploring multifaceted solutions that balance economic development and ecological conservation in island nations.
Helen Hastedt
Helen is a MS student in Natural Resources and Environmental Management at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa. Her research focuses on quantifying the environmental impacts of tourism on Oʻahu, particularly water use. Originally from northern Germany, she holds a BSc in Environmental Engineering and Management from Lübeck University of Applied Sciences. Her academic path has been shaped by hands-on research in water systems, early engagement in biodiversity and youth policy programs, active community engagement, and a strong interest in linking science and policy. Helen’s current work applies geospatial and consumption data to better understand tourism’s resource demands in island systems.
Master’s of Environmental Management Students
Zoe Sidana Bunnath
Zoe Sidana Bunnath graduated from the Royal University of Phnom Penh with a Bachelor of Development Studies in Natural Resource Management and Development and a Bachelor of English for Professional Communication. Zoe had worked as a Research Assistant at the Cambodia Development Resource Institute, involved in multiple projects on climate change, renewable energy, and natural resources governance at the Center for Natural Resources and Environment. Additionally, she has prior experience in the conservation field, having led a BirdLife International-Young Conservation Leader’s project to support Sarus Crane conservation at Boeung Perk Lapouv and Anlung Pring Protected Landscapes. Passionate about lifelong learning and sustainable development, she envisions a world where environmental sustainability and economic development coexist harmoniously.
Visiting Scholars/Interns
Undergraduate Students
Henry Bher
Research Assistants
Elanur Ural
Data Coordinator
Alemarie Ceria
Alemarie has a B.A. in Economics from the University of Hawaii at Manoa. With nearly three years of experience in the lab, she actively engages in data management, collection, and analysis across multiple projects. She also develops visualizations for reports, presentations, and papers, ensuring research reproducibility. Alemarie co-authored two publications: “Detecting Religion from Space: Nyepi Day in Bali” in Remote Sensing Applications: Society and Environment (2021) and “Exploring the influence of activity participation on the economic value of nature-based recreation in the Sierra Nevada” in Journal of Environmental Management (2024).
