Project Staff
Policy Think Tank
The Policy Think Tank is a collaboration between community-based practitioners and academic researchers dedicated to developing new tools for realizing socially just environmental futures. The Think Tank works in tandem with CREATE Researchers to produce academic scholarship that is responsive to community priorities and evaluate and generate new policy approaches to urgent challenges in our communities informed and supported by scholarly research.

Iyekiyapiwin Darlene St. Clair
Associate Professor, St. Cloud State University


Na'Taki Osborne Jelks
Assistant Professor, Spelman College; Board Chair, West Atlanta Watershed Alliance

Glenda Simmons Jenkins
Representative, Gullah/Geechee Nation

Shannon Smith Jones
Executive Director, Hope Community Inc

Adair Mosley
President & CEO, Pillsbury United Communities

Yomi Noibi
Executive Director, Eco-Action

Queen Quet
Chieftess, Gullah/Geechee Nation

James Trice
Founder and CEO, Public Policy Project
Synthesis Team
The Synthesis team drives research at the intersection of water and equity informed equally by disciplinary knowledges and the knowledges and priorities of our community partners. The Synthesis Team is chaired by Kate Derickson.

Jacques Finlay
Professor, University of Minnesota

Katherine Hankins
Professor, Georgia State University

Benjamin Wiggins
Assistant Professor, University of Minnesota

Kirsten Delegrad
Mapping Prejudice Director, University of Minnesota

Richard Milligan
Assistant Professor, Georgia State University

Iyekiyapiwin Darlene St. Clair
Associate Professor, St. Cloud State University

Kevin Ehrman-Solberg
PhD Student, Geography

Yuan (Daniel) Cheng
Assistant Professor, University of Minnesota
Graduate Education Advisory Board
This group advises on the content, structure, and evaluation of the CREATE Scholars program. The Scholars program consists of a spring semester practicum course, experiential learning in interdisciplinary research tools and methods, and funded externships with community partners. The Advisory Board is chaired by Bonnie Keeler.
Data Team
The CREATE Data Team supports the Synthesis Team and the Policy Think Tank through the collection, curation, and visualization of social and environmental data. Members of this team are experts in spatial data management and interpretation, both historical and present day. The project will leverage unique datasets, including the Mapping Prejudice data on racially-restrictive housing covenants, high resolution urban land cover, data on park visitation, and environment change. The Data Team is chaired by Kevin Ehrman-Solberg.

Kevin Ehrman-Solberg
PhD Student, Geography, University of Minnesota

Ben Janke
Postdoctoral Researcher, University of Minnesota

Ryan Noe
Senior Scientist, University of Minnesota
