Carrie Thompson, Director of Operations at the Meadows Center for Water and the Environment, presented via Zoom at the MPA Program’s Lunch and Learn lecture series on January 29th.. Her talk, entitled “Collaborative Engagement in Public Policy and Science-Based Decision Making,” explored her career in the environmental niche of public administration. Thompson has worked for 20 years in the Federal Government, including roles in the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services as a Biologist, at the California State Nature Conservatory, at the U.S. Institute for Environmental Conflict Resolution as an official mediator, and at the Meadows Center here Texas State University (which serves as a non-profit organization, a research center, and an environmental education center).
Throughout her career, Thompson has used her training and experience in public administration to inform her decisions. The topics she touched on included framing, the nature of science, upstream and downstream approaches to scientific policy, and the differences between collaboration and co-labor approaches.
The talk, which was followed by a question and discussion period, was attended by two dozen students and faculty members. Thompson emphasized the importance of mediation skills and provided the audience with resources for obtaining certificates in mediation training.
