Uniting
Research and Policy

Caroline Denniston is an MPP student at the Harris School of Public Policy. Her focuses include environmental policy, natural resources law, and disaster relief.

Prior to enrolling in Harris, Caroline served as a Coastal Resource Management Volunteer for Peace Corps Philippines, where she worked on projects surrounding environmental education, community organizing, and local government planning.

Her responsibilities included facilitating participatory coastal resource assessments, updating the Coastal Resource Management Plan, and reviewing existing laws and ordinances pertaining to climate relief. It was during her time serving in the Philippines that Caroline developed an interest in finding practical, behavior-driven solutions to environmental challenges. She is particularly interested in how policy changes can be crafted to align with human behavior and promote sustainable living.

Caroline earned her bachelor’s degree in industrial engineering from the University of Pittsburgh and has a background in project planning and systems engineering. Following college, Caroline spent two years working as a project planner for NASA’s Flight Projects Directorate and one year as an AmeriCorps volunteer working with the FEMA Emergency Covid-19 Centers.