Carson City, NV…Governor Steve Sisolak announced Dr. Kristen Averyt will be joining his administration as the State’s first Senior Climate Advisor. The addition of this new role demonstrates Governor Sisolak’s commitment to advancing climate action in Nevada. Dr. Averyt will be leading the coordination of climate policies across the State in coordination with multiple executive branch agencies including the Governor’s Office of Energy, the Nevada Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, the Nevada Department of Transportation and more.
Dr. Averyt will play a key role in developing climate policy pathways and, identifying economic opportunities that will help Nevada reduce greenhouse gas emissions and ensure the State is resilient to the impacts of climate change. Dr. Averyt had been serving as the State Climate Policy Coordinator in the Nevada Department of Conservation and Natural Resources.
“I am proud to have Dr. Averyt join my office as our State’s Senior Climate Advisor,” said Gov. Sisolak. “Kristen is a respected expert in the field with a vast amount of experience and knowledge that will be necessary and effective in our progress to addressing the ongoing impacts of climate change. I look forward to having her work side-by-side with my team.”
Dr. Averyt’s role as Senior Climate Advisor compliments her role as Research Professor at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV). Prior to joining UNLV, Dr. Averyt served as President of Nevada’s Desert Research Institute (DRI).
Dr. Averyt obtained her PhD from Stanford University, and her expertise covers a range of issues including climate resilience, western water resources, and the energy-water nexus.
Additionally, Dr. Averyt was one of many scientists who shared in the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize awarded to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, served as a lead author on the 2014 US National Climate Assessment, and was a Fulbright Fellow.
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