Dr. Katherine Himes and Dr. Megan Foster will present “Linking Idaho’s Changing Climate and the Economy: The Idaho Climate-Economy Impacts Assessment” at the League of Women Voters of Moscow Speaker Forum,12:00 p.m. on Feb. 2. Join via Zoom: https://bit.ly/LWVMSpF.

This presentation will provide a high-level look at the process of creating the Idaho Climate-Economy Impacts Assessment that was launched in December, 2021 by the University of Idaho James A. and Louise McClure Center for Public Policy Research. It will also include some of the key findings from the assessment.

The Climate-Economy Impacts Assessment is a nonpartisan, science-based resource to help Idaho business leaders and policy makers plan for a resilient Idaho economy. The assessment consists of a series of technical and non-technical reports prepared by Idaho researchers that analyze impacts and opportunities associated with climate change for six of Idaho’s economic sectors: agriculture, energy, health, infrastructure, land (forest and range) and recreation and tourism.

Dr. Katherine Himes is the director of the McClure Center for Public Policy Research at the University of Idaho. Dr. Himes practices muddy boots science policy. Her expertise spans local, state, national, and international levels. Previously, she served as a science adviser at the U.S. Agency for International Development, with roles in Washington, D.C. and overseas. She earned her Ph.D. and B.S. in Neuroscience from the University of Minnesota, and MBA in Entrepreneurship from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Dr. Megan Foster is a postdoctoral fellow at the McClure Center for Public Policy Research at the University of Idaho. She is a multi-method geographer who utilizes both qualitative and quantitative analyses to better understand public engagement in policy decision making. Dr. Foster received both her Master of Science in Community Development and Ph.D. in Geography at the University of California, Davis.