Elissa Welch (she/her) is the Program Manager for the Midwest Climate Adaptation Science Center (CASC) hosted at the University of Minnesota’s Institute on the Environment. The mission of the MW CASC is to connect multidisciplinary climate adaptation science to natural and cultural resource managers and local communities to help fish, wildlife, water, land, and people adapt to a changing climate. In this role, she manages the administrative functions and awards of the MW CASC, oversees the conduct of research webinars and workshops, and serves as a point of contact and to build capacity across internal and external MW CASC participants, students, and stakeholders.

Prior to joining the Institute in 2022, Elissa served as a project manager for a diverse portfolio of externally-funded projects at the Ohio University Voinovich School of Leadership and Public Service related to energy, the environment, STEM education and outreach, and sustainability. She received the 2021 Ohio University Staff Sustainability Award for her work with students and stakeholders on waste resource management. She has also served as a project coordinator for Ohio University’s Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine and worked for Natsource, LLC and the Environmental Defense Fund. Elissa received bachelor’s degree from the College of Wooster magna cum laude and a Master of Public Administration with honors from Indiana University-Bloomington’s Paul H. O’Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs. Elissa enjoys gardening, hiking, and exploring the greater Midwest with her husband and daughter.