Nicole Herman-Mercer

Nicole is a Research Social Scientist with the Southwest Climate Adaptation Science Center. Nicole is trained in environmental anthropology and uses a political ecology theoretical framework to describe coupled natural-human systems with data collected with qualitative social science methods including surveys, interviews, focus groups, and participant observation. Nicole’s research takes place through the lens of knowledge co-production, including the consideration and inclusion of local and Indigenous Knowledge. Much of Nicole’s work is participatory, involving people and their knowledge in the science that impacts their lives, ecosystems, and livelihoods. Nicole uses qualitative methods to study how people observe, perceive, and respond to climate change and to understand the data and tools decision-makers need to manage resources. She applies traditional techniques in new and innovative ways such as bringing Indigenous Knowledge, community perspectives and narratives and numerical models together as she is doing in her current project, the Arctic Rivers Project. Nicole contributed to the White House Guidance on the inclusion of Indigenous Knowledge and led the development of the Department of the Interior’s Indigenous Knowledge Policy and Handbook as the Department’s Indigenous Knowledge Coordination Committee Advisor.