Mia Wavrek

Associate Program Officer, Climate Smart Communities Initiative
Pittsburgh, PA

Mia advances inclusive climate adaptation through collaborative program leadership, grounded in ecological and climate science and a commitment to equity. With experience spanning federal climate science to community-based conservation, she builds systems that organize complex information, align partners around shared goals, and translate strategy into action.

Most recently, Mia served as a Program Scientist with the U.S. Geological Survey’s Climate Adaptation Science Centers (CASCs), where she coordinated national operations across a network of regionally-led climate science centers and managed a research fellowship program. Her earlier work within the CASCs as a Postgraduate Research Fellow focused on leading the development of an Urban Climate Adaptation Research Agenda to address funding and equity gaps in urban climate adaptation science and management. She also co-led the development of a climate change vulnerability assessment for keystone native plants, integrating climate science with the decision-making needs of restoration practitioners in the Mid-Atlantic. Mia advanced federal Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (DEIA) strategy by helping translate equity-focused federal directives into actionable program operations, multimillion dollar funding opportunities, and partnerships. Prior to her federal service, Mia provided direct participant support through Conservation Corps North Carolina, working with producers from historically underserved communities across North Carolina to navigate complex conservation programs and access resources needed to implement projects on working lands.

Mia holds an M.S. in Geology from the University of Tennessee and a B.S. in Ecology and Evolution from the University of Pittsburgh. Her research has centered on native plant communities and forest ecosystems, with a focus on translating research findings into applied tools for conservation and climate adaptation. Based in Pittsburgh, she enjoys eating pierogi, making trips to Lake Erie, and devotes considerable energy trying to keep her mischievous orange cat out of trouble.