Sara Hughes, Ph.D.
National Center for Atmospheric Research (303) 497-2827 (w)
Research Applications Laboratory (810) 835-1748 (m)
3090 Center Green Drive
Boulder, CO 80307
RESEARCH AND TEACHING INTERESTS
Urban environmental policy andpolitics; institutional analysis; federalism and multi-level governance; democratic institutions and environmental justice; research methods
EDUCATION
2011 University of California, Santa Barbara
Ph.D. in Environmental Science and Management
Dissertation Title: Institutions and Policy Change in Public Service Reform: The Case
of Urban Water Management
Supervisor: Oran Young
Specializations: Environmental Institutions, Water Management, Science and Policy
2006 Michigan State University
M.Sc. inFisheries and Wildlife
Thesis Title: The Changing Value of Water
Supervisors: William Taylor and Thomas Dietz
Specialization: Gender, Justice, and Environmental Change
2004 Michigan State University
B.Sc. in Fisheries and Wildlife, Honors College
Graduated with Honors
RESEARCH POSITIONS
2011- Postdoctoral Fellow, National Center for Atmospheric Research
Present Climate Science and Applications Program, Boulder, CO
2011 Postdoctoral Research Associate, University of California, Los Angeles
Center for Sustainable Urban Systems, Los Angeles, CA (May-October)
PUBLICATIONS
Refereed Articles
Hughes, Sara and Stephanie Pincetl (forthcoming). “Evaluating Collaborative Institutions in
Context: The case of regional water management in southern California,” Environment and
Planning C: Government and Policy.
Hughes, Sara (forthcoming).“Justice in Urban Climate Change Adaptation: Criteria and
Application to Delhi,” Ecology and Society, Special Issue on Governing Adaptation.
Romero Lankao, Patricia, Sara Hughes, Angelica Rosas Huerta, Roxana Burquez, and Melissa
Haeffner.(forthcoming)“Institutional Capacity for Climate Change Responses: An
examination ofconstruction and pathways in Mexico City and Santiago,”Environment and
Planning C: Government and Policy
Hughes, Sara. 2013. “Authority Structures and Service Reform in Multilevel Urban Governance:
Thecase of wastewater recycling in California and Australia,”Urban AffairsReview49(3):
381-407.
Hughes, Sara, Stephanie Pincetl and Christopher Boone. 2013. “Understanding Major Urban
Transitions: Drivers and Dynamics in the City of Los Angeles,” Cities: The International
Journal of Urban Policy and Planning 32: 51-59.
Hughes, Sara. 2012. “Voluntary Environmental Programs in the Public Sector: Evaluation of an
Urban Water Conservation Program in California,” Policy Studies Journal 40(4): 650-673
Pincetl, Stephanie, Guido Franco, Terri Hogue, Sara Hughes, Eric Pardyjak. 2012. “Urban
Areas,” in Assessment of Climate Change in the Southwest United States: A Technical Report
Prepared for the U.S. National Climate Assessment. Tucson, AZ: Southwest Climate Alliance.
Hughes, Sara, Annie Yau, Lisa Max, Nada Petrovic, Frank Davenport, Michael Marshall,
Timothy R. McClanahan, JoshuaC. Cinner, Edward H. Allison. 2012. “Assessing National Level Vulnerability to Coral Reef Fisheries Decline from a Food Security Perspective,”Environmental Science and Policy.23, 95-108.
Braden, John,Jeffrey Dozier, Patricia Gober, Sara Hughes, David R. Maidment, Sandra L.
Schneider, P. Wesley Schultz, James S. Shortle, Stephen K. Swallow, and Carol M. Werner.
2009. “Social Science in a Water Observing System,” Water Resources Research Vol. 45,
W11301.
Hughes, Sara, Lena Partszch, and Joanne Gaskell. 2007. “Virtual Water: A critical link for
integrating global water, energy, and development goals,”Sustainable Development Law and
Policy, 7, 58-62.
Book Chapters
Hughes, Sara (forthcoming). “The urban future of fisheries,” in Future of Fisheries:
Perspectives for Emerging Professionals, eds. William Taylor, Abigail Lynch, and Nancy
Leonard: Bethesda, MD: American Fisheries Society Press.
Romero Lankao, Patricia, Hua Qin, Sara Hughes, Melissa Haeffner and Mercy Borbo-Cordova.
2012. “Urban vulnerability and adaptation to the health impacts of air pollution andclimate
extremes in Latin American cities,” in Research in Urban Sociology, ed. William G. Holt,
Bingley, UK: Emerald Press.
Hughes, Sara and Joan Rose. 2011. “Governing Global Aquaculture for Human Security,” with
Joan Rose, in Sustainable Fisheries: Multi-Level Approaches to a Global Problem, eds.
Michael Schechter, Abigail Lynch, and William Taylor: Bethesda, MD: American Fisheries
Society Press.
Hughes, Sara and Jennifer McKay. 2010.“The Contribution of Actors to Achieving
Sustainability in Australia through Water Policy Transitions,” inPolicy Entrepreneurs: A
research companion to water transitions around the world, eds. Dave Huitema and Sander
Meijerink, Cheltenham, UK: Edward Elgar Press.
Partszch, Lena and Sara Hughes. 2010. “Food versus Fuel: Governance Potential for Water
Rivalry,” in Food Ethics, eds. Franz-Theo Gottwald, Hans Werner Ingensiep and Marc
Meinhardt, New York, NY: Springer Publishers.
Hughes, Sara and Lena Partszch. 2009. “Greening the Streams: US and EU Water Foreign
Policy,” inEnvironmental Change and Foreign Policy, ed. Paul G. Harris, London, UK:
Routledge Press.
Other Publications
Hughes, Sara.2009. “Urban Governance and Modern Challenges: Evaluating Urban Water
Services,” in Urbanization and Global Environmental Change Viewpoints.
Harris, Melissa, Sara Hughes,Arturo Keller, Patrick Roenhardz, Sam Bennett, and Robert
Wilkinson.2009. “The Energy and Water Nexus: How to maximize conservation bang for the
efficiency buck,” in Water Efficiency Magazine.
Hughes, Sara. 2008. “Assessing the Character and Content of Public Communications for Water
Management Strategies,” Report to the South Australia Department of Water, Land, and
Biodiversity Conservation.
MANUSCRIPTS IN PROGRESS
Patricia Romero Lankao, Sara Hughes, Angelica Rosas Huerta, Roxana Burquez, Hua Qin, and
Andrea Lampis. “Toward an Integrated Assessment of Urban Vulnerability and Risk: Insights
from Latin American Cities” (In preparation)
Hughes, Sara and Daniel Miller-Runfola. “Evaluating The Institutional Fit of Climate Change
Mitigation and Adaptation Actions in U.S. Cities,” (In preparation)
Hughes, Sara and Patricia Romero Lankao. “Institutionalization and the Science-Policy
Interface: Examining Climate Change Policy in Delhi and Mexico City,” (Revise and Resubmit
atInternational Journal of Urban and Regional Research)
Hughes, Sara and Jaime Sainz-Santamaria. “Implications of the Shifting Federal Emergency
Response Administration in the U.S. for Recovery Efforts in Minority Communities” (In
preparation)
Hughes, Saraand Robert Wilkinson. “The Role of Governance in Shaping Freshwater
Management in America: Toward Integrated Resources Planning,” (In preparation)
TEACHING EXPERIENCE
Cities and the Environment (2013)
University of Colorado, Boulder
Environmental Studies Department
Sustainable Water Management (2011)
University of California, Santa Barbara
Extension Certificate Program in Sustainable Building and Design
72% Excellent Rating
Environmental Politics and Policy (teaching assistant, 2009-2011)
University of California, Santa Barbara
Bren School of Environmental Science and Management
62% Excellent Rating (compared to 36% for other teaching assistants)
Environmental Law and Policy (2007)
University of South Australia
School of Commerce
Sustainable Development in Madagascar (teaching assistant, 2006)
Michigan State University
Study Abroad Program
FUNDED RESEARCH
Co-PI, USAID Climate Change Resilient Development, Climate Resilient Infrastructure Services
Award, Phuket, Thailand (2013-2014) -- $122,000
CALFED Science Program Pre-Doctoral Research Grant (2008-2010) -- $120,000.
AWARDS
Stone Scholar, Urban Politics Section, American Political Science Association (2013).
NCAR Advanced Study Program Postdoctoral Fellowship. Research ApplicationsLaboratory,
(2011-2013).
American Political Science Association Travel Grant (2011).
Henry Luce Foundation Science to Solutions Doctoral Student Fellowship (2008-2010).
University of California, Santa Barbara Affiliate’s Graduate Fellowship (2010).
University of California, Santa Barbara Dean’s Fellowship (2009-2010).
Fulbright Postgraduate Fellowship, Australia (2007).
INVITED PRESENTATIONS
The Energy and Resources Institute, “Urban Climate Change Planning: Exploring the Role of
Institutions,” Delhi, India, May 21, 2012.
University of Colorado, Denver, “Building Theories to Understand the Underlying Mechanisms
of Injustice in Urban Climate Governance,” Workshop on Policy Process Research, February
15, 2012.
University of Southern California, “Regulating Water: Strategies, Challenges, and Future
Directions,” Department of Business and Government, Los Angeles, CA, March 24, 2011.
University of California, Santa Barbara, “Determinants of the Adoption and Implementation of
Urban Water Conservation Programs,” Department of Political Science, October 28, 2010.
Helmholz Centre for the Environment, “Institutions and Water Management,” Leipzig,
Germany, August 25, 2007.
CONFERENCE PAPERS AND PRESENTATIONS
“Multi-Scalar Dimensions of Urban Climate Change Planning: The Cases of Delhi and Mexico
City.” 2013. Paper Presented at the International Studies Association Annual Meetingand the
Urban Affairs Association Annual Meeting, April 3-8, San Francisco, CA.
“Institutional Drivers, Science Politics, and Urban Climate Change Planning in Mega-Cities.”
2012. Paper Presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Political Science Association,
August 30-September 2, New Orleans, LA. (presented virtually)
“Locating Authority in Urban Climate Adaptation: Processes and Consequences.” 2012. Paper
Presented at the “Governing Adaptation” Symposium, March 21-22, Amsterdam, the
Netherlands.
“The Role of “Local” Control in Promoting Justice in Urban Climate Change Planning.” 2012.
Paper Presented at the Annual Meeting of the Association of American Geographers, February
25-29, New York, NY.
“Evaluating Collaborative Institutions in Context: Regional Water Management in Southern
California.” 2011. Paper Presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Political Science
Association, September 1-4, Seattle, WA.
“Multilevel Governance and Environmental Change: The Scale Politics of Recycled Water
Development for Cities in California and Australia," 2011. Paper Presented at the
Conference on Earth System Governance, May 17-20, Fort Collins, CO.
“Regulation, Reliability and Resources: Understanding Policy Effects onUrban Water
Agencies,” 2010. Paper presented at the Fall Meeting of the Association for Public Policy
Analysis and Management,November 4-6, Boston, Massachusetts.
“Cities, Services, and Changing Contexts: Examining the Role of Institutions in Responding to
Environmental Risk,” 2010. Paper Presented at the Conference on Urbanization and
Global Environmental Change, October 15-17, Tempe, Arizona.
“Urban Water Agencies and Organizational Strategy: Implications for Adaptation,” 2010.
Paper Presented at the Annual Meeting of the MidwestPolitical Science Association, April
21-25, Chicago, Illinois.
“Institutions and Sustainable Cities,” 2009. Paper Presented at the International Human
Dimensions Program Open Meeting, April 25-29, Bonn, Germany.
“Management That Fits: The Implications of Urban Water Management for the Bay-Delta",
2009. Paper Presented at the Annual CALFED Science Meeting, September 29-October 1,
Sacramento, California.
“Drought, Urban Water and Environmental Flows: Planning for Resilience,” 2008. Poster
Presented at the Resilience Conference, April 14-17, Stockholm, Sweden.
“Virtual Water Accounting in Biofuels Trade,” 2007. Poster Presented at World Water Week,
June 10-15, Stockholm, Sweden.
“Why Collaboration? Dynamic water governance and the need for connections,” 2007. Session
Organizer and Speaker. American Association for the Advancement of Science, June 15-18,
San Francisco, California.
“Filing the Holes in Water Management: Groundwater policy, values, and trout,” 2006. Paper
Presented at the Annual Meetingof the American Fisheries Society, September 3-5, Lake
Placid, New York.
“Water Law and Politics,”2006. Panelist for the Annual Michigan Conference of Political
Scientists, August 20-23, Dearborn, Michigan
ADVISING
Instructor and Thesis Advisor, Arid Lands Institute, Woodbury University, Burbank, CA
(2011)
Summer high school mentoring program, UC Santa Barbara (2009)
PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES AND SERVICE
Workshop Participation
Dissertations Initiative for the Advancement of Climate Change Research, National Science
Foundation and NASA, Colorado Springs, CO, October 13-20, 2012
Mediating Climate Change in the City: Workshop for Early Career Researchers and International
Symposium, Durham, UK, March 19-23, 2012
Managing Transitions to Sustainable Communities and Regions, Cornell University, Ithaca, New
York, June 18-23, 2010
Marie Curie Winter School in Adaptive Governance, Vrije University, Amsterdam, November
18-22, 2009
National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis Working Group, “Reefs, Food, People”,
Santa Barbara, CA, April 5-7, 2009
International Human Dimensions Workshop: “Water, Trade and the Environment”, Chiang Mai,
Thailand, October 15-30, 2006
Reviewer
Policy Studies Journal, Society & Natural Resources, Journal of Administration and Policy
Research, Coastal Management Journal,Ecology & Society, Conservation Letters,
International Journal of Urban and Regional Research
Member
American Political Science Association, American Association for the Advancement of Science,
Association of American Geographers,Association for Public Policy Analysis and
Management, International Studies Association
Research Fellow
Earth System Governance Partnership of theInternational Human Dimensions Program
Outreach
Contributor to
Workshop co-organizer for decision makers in Latin American cities: “Vulnerability and
adaptation of cities to climate change”, Mexico City, February 7, 2012
Service
Member of the Social Science assembly, National Center for Atmospheric Research, to assist
with strategic planning and integrating social science
NCAR representative for NCAR Days at NSF, November 13, 2012
OTHER SKILLS
Software
R, SPSS, UCINet, ArcGIS, NVivo, Atlas/ti
Language
Proficient in Spanish
1