top of page
More Information
Journal Manuscripts in PreparationTier, M. O., Oppenheimer, M., Li, E. (2026). Administrative governance and Justice40: Institutional change in federal climate adaptation programs.Tier, M. O., Deubelli-Hwang, T., Calliari, E., & Weber, E. U. (2026). Environmental justice preferences in urban climate adaptation flood policy. Tier, M. O., Sabherwal, A. C., & Sparkman, G. (2026). Leveraging action across policy domains in the global polycrisis: A case study of climate change and COVID-19.
Cook, E. M., Ventrella, J., McPhearson, T., Parris, A., Iwaniec, D. M., Mannetti, L., Muñoz-Erickson, T. A., Tagtachian, D., & Tier, M. O. (under review). Transformative leverage points for future multi-hazard resilience in New York City. Ambio: A Journal of Environment & Society.
Peer-Reviewed Journal ArticlesCano Pecharroman, L., Tier, M. O., & Weber, E. U. (2025). Feature importance of climate vulnerability indicators with gradient boosting across five global cities. Frontiers in Climate, 7, 1-11. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/fclim.2025.1521507
Caggiano, H., Kocakusak, D., Kumar, P., & Tier, M. O. (2023). U.S. cities’ integration and evaluation of equity considerations into climate action plans. npj Urban Sustainability, 3(50), 1-9. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s42949-023-00129-6 Tier, M. (2021). Overcoming contemporary reform failure of the National Flood Insurance Program to accelerate just climate transitions. Journal of Public & International Affairs, 32, online.
Tier, M. O. (forthcoming). Persistent Data Gaps in the Pursuit of Equitable Flood Relocation: Buyouts in NJ and NY. Rutgers University, New Jersey State Policy Lab.
Schnarr, E., Bunker, H., Tier, M. O., & Ventrella, J. (2022). The State of Climate Knowledge 2022: Workshop Summary Report. NYC Mayor's Office of Climate & Environmental Justice, Climate Knowledge Exchange.Cook, E., Ventrella, J., McPhearson, T., Parris, A., Tier, M., …, & Tagtachian, D. (2022). NYC Climate Adaptation Scenarios for 2100: Exploring Alternative, Positive Visions for a Resilient Future. The New School, Urban Systems Lab.Tier, M., Oppenheimer, M., & Nordenson, G. (2021). Memorandum on Federal Priorities for Climate Adaptation. Princeton University, Center for Policy Research on Energy & the Environment.Braneon, C., Rosenzweig, C., Crete, E., Fanaeian, L., …, & Tier, M. (2020). Chapter 4.2: States and cities for climate action. In America’s Zero Carbon Action Plan: The Zero Carbon Consortium (Eds. J. Sachs & E. Crete). Sustainable Development Solutions Network USA.Tier, M. (2020). Multi-level and regional governance models for urban climate action: A case study of the Philadelphia metropolitan area. Conference paper. International Conference on Sustainable Development.Fox-Glassman, K. & Tier, M. (2014). Risk Perceptions and Wildfire Evacuation: A Case Study of Wildfire Experience in Southern California. Columbia University, Center for Research on Environmental Decisions; U.S. Geological Survey.
Public ScholarshipTier, M. O. (2025). From Executive Order to State Law: The Evolution of Environmental Justice in NJ. Rutgers University, New Jersey State Policy Lab.Tier, M. O. (2025). A Brief Look at Environmental Justice Federal Policy in the U.S. Rutgers University, New Jersey State Policy Lab.Tier, M. O. (2024). Equity and Environmental Justice in Regional Flood Mobility Programs. Rutgers University, New Jersey State Policy Lab.Acknowledged Contributions to Publications Acknowledged for contributing policy insights to:Strange, K., Tran, M., Lundi, D., Clarke, E., Weber, A., Shrestha, J., Flemma, J., & Johnson, A. E. (2026). After the Flood: How Local Governments Are Reimagining Buyout Programs. Urban Ocean Lab. Acknowledged for participating in planning sessions of the Climate Resilience Research Agenda for the Philadelphia region:Kavathekar, A., Tangtrakul, K., Pearl, N., Bader, D., Britton, J., Chapman, S., Graff, R., Granieri, M., Johnson, H., Johnson, R., Linn, C., Owen, M., Rockwell, J., Schulman, A., Wall, R., Payab, A. H., & Montalto, F. A. (2024). A first step in the co-production of a climate resilience research agenda for the Philadelphia region. Community Science, 3(4), 1-30.Acknowledged for reviewing a case study in:Mycoo, M. A. (2024). Coastal City Adaptation in Caribbean Small Island Developing States: The Case of Greater Bridgetown, Barbados. Columbia University, Urban Climate Change Research Network (UCCRN), 3rd Assessment Report on Climate Change and Cities, Case Study Docking Station. Acknowledged for advising and editing a Master in Public Affairs policy workshop report facilitated by Guy Nordenson, Professor of Architecture and Structural Engineering:Swanson, A., Kelly, B., Johari, A., Blackshaw, C., Lombardo-Han, N., Lee, C., Stoltzfus, J., Tipkanjanarat, K., Lee, G., Agarwala, A., & Deng, M. (2022). Expanding Climate Services to Respond to Adaptation Challenges: Insights from Managed Retreat Practice. Princeton University, School of Public and International Affairs.Ad Hoc Peer ReviewerJournal of Environmental Planning and Management (2023-2024, 1 manuscript plus revision).
2024New Jersey State Policy Lab Research Grant, Rutgers University, Bloustein School of Planning & Public Policy2023-2024Prize Fellowship in the Social Sciences, Princeton University, Graduate School2023-2024Mary and Randall Hack ’69 Graduate Award for Water and the Environment, Princeton University, High Meadows Environmental Institute2023Pre-Dissertation Field Site Grant, Princeton University, Institute for International & Regional Studies2020, 2018Biennial Suzanne P. Welsh Staff Award, Swarthmore College2018Lippincott Alumni Fellowship for Graduate Study, Swarthmore College
Research & Praxis Presentations 2026 (upcoming)Spatial coordination in multi-level climate adaptation governance: An integrated policy and geospatial analysis of flood relocations and adaptation infrastructure. American Geophysical Union (AGU) Conference, CA. 2026 (upcoming) Justice40 and administrative governance: Lessons for equitable climate adaptation policy. American Geophysical Union (AGU) Conference, CA. 2026 Persistent data gaps in the pursuit of equitable flood relocation: Buyouts in NJ and NY. NJ Climate Change Research Symposium, NJ. 2026 The impact of multi-level funding structures on flood relocation programs in the U.S. Mid-Atlantic. National Adaptation Forum, PA. 2026 Multi-level funding and governance of flood relocations through New Jersey’s Blue Acres program. NJ Coastal and Climate Resilience Conference, NJ. 2025 An international comparison of environmental justice preferences in urban climate adaptation flood policy. Adaptation Futures Conference, Ōtautahi Christchurch, New Zealand (remote). 2025 Examining the impact of multi-level funding structures on flood relocation programs: Case studies in the U.S. Mid-Atlantic. MR2025: Mobility, Adaptation, and Wellbeing in a Changing Climate, NY. 2024 Environmental justice preferences in urban climate adaptation flood policy. American Geophysical Union (AGU) Conference, D.C. 2024 Multi-level climate policy coherence: Local buyout programs & the federal government. Association of Collegiate Schools of Planning (ACSP) Annual Conference, WA. 2024 Justice preferences in urban climate adaptation flood policy. National Adaptation Forum, MN. 2024 Urban residents’ justice preferences in the design of climate adaptation flood policy. General Assembly of the European Geosciences Union (EGU), Vienna, Austria. 2024 Environmental justice screening tools and U.S. federal disaster resilience grants: A climate vulnerability analysis. Columbia University Interdisciplinary PhD Workshop in Sustainable Development, NY. 2023 Spillover between behaviors and policy support in the climate change and COVID-19 Domains. Society for Personality & Social Psychology Convention, Online. 2022 Variegated risk perceptions & policy preferences among multi-level U.S. climate adaptation governance actors. Behavior, Energy & Climate Change Conference, D.C. 2022 Behavioral science insights for environmentally just climate adaptation policy. National Adaptation Forum, MD. 2021 Critical perspectives on managed retreat at the intersection of psychology & environmental justice. Columbia University Managed Retreat (MR) Conference, Online.2020 Graduate student opportunities for innovative pedagogy and institutional leverage: How we can plug in. Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE) Conference, PA. 2019 Linkage of urban climate governance scales: Comparing resilience frameworks within the greater Philadelphia metropolitan area. International Conference on Sustainable Development (ICSD), NY. 2018 Breaking down silos in universities: Imaginative interdisciplinary approaches to sustainable development research, education, and practice. International Conference on Sustainable Development (ICSD), NY. 2018 Partnering student Green Advisors with staff Advocates: Swarthmore's innovative eco-reps model. Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE) Conference, PA. 2017 Employing engaged campus stakeholders for impactful behavior change research. Smart & Sustainable Campuses Conference, MD.Panel Discussions 2026 NY/NJ HATS and Section 8106 of WRDA 2022. A session of the Compound Flooding Convening: The State of Scientific and Engineering Research and Practice, hosted by regional academic centers and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Workshop Co-Designer. 2024 Barriers as high as seawalls: Contextual and regulatory challenges for community flood adaptation. Association of Collegiate Schools of Planning (ACSP) Annual Conference, IL. 2023 Navigating successful co-production of campus-as-lab initiatives. Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE) Conference, MA. 2023 Equity and environmental justice in urban environments. Columbia University Managed Retreat (MR) Conference, NY. 2020 Climate emotions, environmental justice, and student mentorship. Princeton Short Courses Series, Online. 2019 Environmental justice & pedagogy for the public good. Swarthmore Alumni Lecture Series, Online. 2018 From the 3Es to the SDGs: Updating sustainability frameworks used as educational tools. Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE) Conference, PA.2018 The climate-friendly global academic conference with a human touch. Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE) Webinar Series, Online.2016 Internal carbon fee discussion. Northeast Campus Sustainability Conference, MA. 2016 Decarbonizing the global economy: Higher education's role in carbon pricing. Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE) Conference, MD. 2016 Internal carbon pricing: Designing & implementing campus climate policies with Vassar, Swarthmore, and Yale. Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE) Conference, MD. Many additional campus workshop presentations, class visits, and community talks on climate change, environmental justice, zero waste, carbon pricing, and more while on staff at Swarthmore College.
bottom of page