Meet the board
Current Board
Tanya O’Garra
President
Tanya is an environmental economist with over fifteen years’ experience conducting research on the valuation of ecosystem services and the collective management of shared natural resources. Her current research uses experimental and quasi-experimental methods to estimate the causal impacts of community-based resource management and climate adaptation projects. Tanya is particularly interested in identifying the mechanisms through which interventions lead to impact (as well as those that weaken impact) – and to use this information to develop robust theories of change to guide conservation and natural resource management decisions.
Elías Cisneros
Mentoring Program coordinator
Elías is an Assistant Professor of Political Economy and Sustainability at The University of Texas at Dallas (UTD). His research centers on the causes and consequences of land-use change, environmental degradation, and conflict. He combines remotely sensed high-resolution data with market and political shocks to investigate human behavior and the transformation of landscapes. His research on role of local political incentives in deforestation for agricultural production in Brazil, Indonesia, and Peru shows how local governments are significant drivers of land conversion, corruption, and violent social conflicts. Before joining UTD in 2023, he earned his PhD from the University of Bonn in 2017 and was a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Göttingen and the University of Texas at Austin. Elías is in charge of the IEWG Mentoring Program, and supports the #TuesdaysWithTeamcounterfactual seminar series.
Rachel Martin
Social media and communications coordinator
Rachel is a Technical Manager at the Nature Positive Initiative leading their efforts on state of nature indicators, and DPhil at the University of Oxford, studying the detection and attribution of global nature-positive outcomes as it relates to economic sectors and actors. She has an interdisciplinary background, with particular interest in endangered species conservation, systems change, evidence-based decision making, and methods for determining impact of past, present, and future conservation interventions. Rachel is in charge of Communications for the Working Group, and supports the #TuesdaysWithTeamcounterfactual seminar series.
Renzo Giudice
Virtual seminar series coordinator
Renzo is a postdoctoral researcher at the Center for Development Research at the University of Bonn, specializing in environmental economics, policy evaluation, and geospatial analysis. He brings over two decades of experience in forest and biodiversity conservation, with a strong focus on assessing the effectiveness of conservation initiatives using rigorous impact evaluation methods. His current research applies causal inference techniques to assess the role of biodiversity on agricultural productivity, livelihoods, and promoting sustainable development in the Amazon Basin. Renzo has collaborated with international organizations such as GIZ, KfW, and the Moore Foundation, as well as public institutions like the Peruvian Ministry of Environment. He has led projects on monitoring, reporting, and verification (MRV) for REDD+ activities and the development of forest monitoring systems. He is passionate about bridging science and policy to support evidence-based decision-making that advances nature conservation outcomes.
Alex Caruana
Virtual seminar series coordinator & Web Developer
Alex is a PhD student at the University of Oxford’s Interdisciplinary Centre for Conservation Science (ICCS). His work focuses on counterfactual theory and applying different counterfactual approaches to assess the impacts of conservation interventions. His current research focuses on the theoretical foundations of counterfactual study designs, particularly the core assumptions underpinning causal inference and the applicability of robust sensitivity analyses for hidden confounders. Additionally, he is interested in understanding the barriers to counterfactual adoption among conservationists to make these methods more accessible.
Pralhad Burli
Community and Engagement Lead
Pralhad is an interdisciplinary researcher with expertise in applied economics, renewable energy, and conservation. Currently, he serves as a consultant on wildfire resilience policies, collaborating with diverse stakeholders to assess management practices and their influence on forest ecosystems. With experiences at the intersection of bioenergy, farmer decision-making, decarbonization, and sustainable practices, Pralhad brings a unique perspective to conservation challenges. His academic background spans economics and environmental management, and he excels in applying data-driven research methods to address complex issues. Pralhad is passionate about advancing solutions for human-wildlife coexistence, aiming to balance community incentives with ecological objectives. Having worked across government, multilateral institutions, research organizations, and consulting, he is deeply committed to promoting evidence-based conservation and sustainability in both policy and practice.
Claire Vincent
Research Briefings coordinator
Claire is a postdoctoral researcher at the Global Mammal Assessment lab at La Sapienza University of Rome, where she studies protected area effectiveness and policy implications. Her experience spans both site-based conservation in protected areas in Costa Rica, Cambodia, and Sierra Leone, and global-level spatial analyses as a researcher in Switzerland, the UK, and Italy. She is interested in capacity building and has designed and delivered data management and GIS trainings internationally. Claire is in charge of the Research Briefings and aims to advance the knowledge and uptake of impact evaluation methods in conservation science.
Ellie Roxburgh
Secretary & Volunteer Engagement Lead
Ellie is Policy and Advocacy Manager at River Action, a campaigning organisation based in the UK. She studied Environmental Policy at Imperial College London and led a research paper investigating the relationship between partner organisation support and community governance in locally managed marine areas in Fiji. Ellie is interested in embedding scientific evidence in policy design. She is in charge of managing Volunteers and convening the Working Group
Malavika Narayana
Conference and Events Lead
Malavika is a Senior Project Manager at The Himalayan Initiative at ATREE, India, where her work focuses on integrating biodiversity and socioeconomic insights into practical strategies that support resilient landscapes and empower communities. As a conservation ecologist, she is interested in strengthening evidence-based conservation and designing impact assessment frameworks that enhance learning, accountability, and adaptive management. With her background in biodiversity research, community engagement, and rights-based approaches, she is committed to working at the interface of science and policy. Malavika is the Conference and Events Lead for the Impact Evaluation Working Group.
Virtual Seminar Hosts (2025-2026)
Allen Blackman
Allen is the Principal Economic Advisor to the Climate and Sustainable Development Sector at the Inter-American Development Bank, and is a specialized in environmental and natural resource issues in developing countries. His research focuses on air and water pollution, land use and land cover change, agricultural supply chains, and climate change. His Past positions have included Senior Fellow, Thomas Klutznick Chair, and Director of the Environment for Development Program at Resources for the Future, Resident Advisor at the Tropical Agricultural Research and Higher Education Center in Turrialba, Costa Rica, Adjunct Associate Professor at Georgetown University McCourt School of Public Policy, and Visiting Research Fellow at the University of California San Diego US-Mexico Study Center.
Julia P. G. Jones
Julia is Professor of Conservation Science in the School of Environmental and Natural Sciences at Bangor University and Prince Bernhard Chair in International Nature Conservation at Utrecht University. Her research is driven by an interest in making conservation more effective to ensure it delivers positive outcomes for both people and nature. This is achieved through rigorous evaluations of conservation policy and practice. She is experienced in conducting ex-post evaluations using existing data and study designs. Her research focuses on nature markets, reconciling conservation and developments as well as local costs of conservation. Additionally, she has a strong interest in Madagascar where she has worked with Malagasy colleagues for 24 years on issues around conservation and development.
Current Volunteers
Annabel Lim Jia Yi
Resource section development
Annabel is a PhD student at the National University of Singapore’s Centre for Nature-based Climate Solutions (CNCS). Her research draws on counterfactual approaches, environmental economics, and spatial prioritisation to explore how forest conservation initiatives can become more effective. Much of her work is based in Southeast Asia, where she has collaborated with colleagues to deepen understanding of agricultural systems and improve carbon estimation models. She is also interested in science communication and interactive narrative design.
Nyma Ehtesham
Mentoring research volunteer
Nyma Ehtesham is an undergraduate student at the University of Texas at Dallas pursuing a B.S. in International Political Economy. She is particularly interested in conservation, sustainability, and how international cooperation can address global environmental challenges.
Garvika Malani
Resource library volunteer
Garvika currently works as a Research Associate at the Bharti Institute of Public Policy, Indian School of Business. Her work focuses on rural Andhra Pradesh, where she supports efforts to formalise the forest economy and securing community ownership of forest land. She is interested in livelihood development, community engagement, and conservation, and is motivated to contribute to grassroots initiatives that strengthen climate action and community resilience.
Past Board Members
We are forever grateful to all the past board members, hosts and volunteers that have helped establish and run this working group throughout the years, as we wouldn’t be here without them.
Beth Allgood
Edwin Pynegar
Megan Barnes
Seb Costedoat
Johanna Eklund
Claudia Polo Urrea
Duan Biggs
Jonas Geldmann
Louise Glew
Ana Miller-ter Kuile
Johan Oldekop
Caterina Cosmopolis del Carpio
Megan Kocina
Past Virtual Seminar Hosts
Paul J. Ferraro
(May 2022 – May 2023)
Sheila Reddy
(May 2023 – May 2025)
Past Volunteers
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