ERI Staff

Eva Allen
Assistant Director for Research Advancement
Allen supports IU's resilience research community through strategic project and proposal development, and enhancing collaboration related to the mission and activities of the institute.
evaallen@indiana.edu
812-855-8845

Bill Brown
Assistant Director for Strategy and Engagement
Brown leads institute and program planning, working alongside ERI’s leadership to advance strategic initiatives and strengthen stakeholder relationships. In a previous role at IU, he helped create the student internship program now known as the McKinney Climate Fellows, which ERI administers.
brownwm@indiana.edu
812-855-0115

Liv Davis
Extreme Heat Coordinator
Davis supports the Beat the Heat program by analyzing data related to extreme heat and vulnerability and by helping local governments develop heat management strategies. She is a senior at Indiana University pursuing majors in geography and international studies and a minor in atmospheric science.

Joe Desmond
Community Resilience & Outreach Coordinator
Desmond supports planning for the Indiana Sustainability & Resilience Conference. He also provides support for fund development, community outreach, and the McKinney Climate Fellows program. Desmond is a Masters of Public Affairs candidate at the O'Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs, where he studies policy analysis and innovation in energy systems.

Therese Dorau
Assistant Director for Policy and Implementation
Dorau directs ERI’s policy and implementation portfolio, working alongside ERI’s leadership to lead programming, pursue philanthropic and grant funding, and foster relationships with stakeholders. Previously, Dorau served as Director of the Office of Sustainability for the City of South Bend.
tdorau@iu.edu
812-855-3728

Zoya Ehsan
McKinney Climate Fellows Project & Outreach Coordinator
Zoya manages the day-to-day operations of the McKinney Climate Fellows Program, assisting with partner outreach and student recruitment. She is currently a senior at the O’Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs studying Environmental Management.

Matt Flaherty
Resilience Program Consultant
Flaherty supports ERI's work with communities and other external partners as a consultant. He formerly served as ERI's resilience implementation manager and managed several resilience-related tools and resources during that time.

Anagha Gore
Resilience Programs Coordinator
Gore supports ERI resilience programs, providing guidance on climate mitigation and adaptation solutions to local governments. She coordinates with partner organizations to ensure that local government officials have the resources they need for successful project implementation.
anagore@iu.edu
812-856-3543

Elspeth Hayden
McKinney Climate Fellows Program Manager
Hayden assists with coordination of the McKinney Climate Fellows program, focusing on student engagement and partnerships with nonprofits and businesses across the state. She also serves as the Associate Director of IUB’S Integrated Program in the Environment, supporting environmental academic programs, sustainability-related co-curriculars, and climate education outreach.
haydene@indiana.edu
812-855-8742

Abby Henkel
Development Manager
Henkel is the point person for establishing and maintaining relationships with corporations, foundations, and private individuals whose philanthropic interests align with ERI's mission.
ahenkel@iu.edu
812-855-2469

Jonathan Hines
Communications & Outreach Manager
Hines supports ERI's communication and outreach initiatives by promoting awareness of ERI's mission and activities within the university and among the public. He serves as a liaison to faculty and staff, media, and the general public.
johines@iu.edu
812-856-3610

Lacey Lingelbach
COMMUNITY RESILIENCE COORDINATOR
Lingelbach supports the designing, evaluation, and content updates for several ERI programs and tools that help Indiana local governments increase preparedness for climate change including the Environmental Resilience Institute Toolkit, the Prepared for Environmental Change Webinar Series, and the Hoosier Resilience Index. Lingelbach is a Masters of Public Affairs candidate at the O’Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs, where she studies building equitable and climate resilient communities.

Julie McLenachen
ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT
McLenachen serves as a primary point of contact for general inquiries, provides administrative support to the team, handles initial fiscal document processing, and assists with maintaining and expanding ERI's online presence.
jmclenac@iu.edu
812-855-8539

Luke Miller
Community Resilience Coordinator
Miller is a Master of Public Affairs student at IU's O’Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs focusing on environmental policy and climate issues. He supports ERI's Resilience Cohort program, providing climate planning research and analysis for use by local governments.

Stephanie Odaffer
Assistant Director for Operations
Odaffer oversees administration and operations for ERI, working closely with the Office of the Vice President for Research at Indiana University and her fellow members of ERI's leadership.

Gillian Paxton
Staff Writer & Graphic Designer
Paxton creates graphics and other communication products for ERI. She holds a bachelor of arts in journalism from IU and is pursuing a graduate degree in secondary education through IU's School of Education.

Danni Schaust
Resilience Program Consultant
Schaust supports ERI's work with the McKinney Midwest Climate Project as a consultant. She formerly served as ERI's resilience implementation manager and managed the McKinney Climate Fellows program.
dschaust@iu.edu
812-855-8934

Cody Smith
Community Resilience & Outreach Coordinator
Smith coordinates the Hoosier Resilience Index, helping communities in Indiana understand their vulnerabilities to and preparedness for climate change impacts. He also contributes to ERI’s communication and outreach efforts. Smith is a Master of Public Affairs candidate at the O'Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs, where he studies energy and water policy as they relate to climate change.

Alec Theisz
Data Technician
Theisz provides support for ERI's custom data tools and websites through helping document data processes, managing software and data, and assisting ERI's affiliates with using its tools. He is currently a PhD student studying informatics in the Luddy School of Informatics, Computing, and Engineering.