Prior to joining the IRI, Catherine Vaughan worked with the Global Roundtable on Climate Change, the Permanent Mission of Dominica to the United Nations, the Austin Chronicle, and the New York State Department of Health. From 2003 to 2005, Cathy also served as a Peace Corps volunteer in rural Zambia.
Cathy's experience in Latin America began on a goat farm in Costa Rica. Since then, she has worked and/or studied in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Venezuela.
Cathy holds masters' degrees in International Relations (Yale, 2007) and Climate and Society (Columbia, 2008). Her undergraduate degree, in history and biology, was awarded with High Honors from Swarthmore College.
Role at the IRI
Cathy is a staff associate and program coordinator in the IRI's Regional Program for Latin America and the Caribbean. In this role, Cathy facilitates international collaborations, supports the development of grant proposals, and helps to manage a variety of projects. Cathy is also directly involved in research activities designed to assess the impact of climate change on high-altitude ecosystems in the Andes. An active member of the IRI’s Climate and Society Secretariat, Cathy also works on a number of outreach-related projects, including the development of climate risk management case studies. Cathy is a regular contributor to the Earth Institute’s ClimateMatters@Columbia blog.
Publications and Presentations
Vaughan, C. and W. Baethgen. 2010. Researching Adaptation: An Overview of Climate Change Adaptation Research in the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean Basin. Fighting for Survival: The Vulnerability of America’s Gulf Coast and the Caribbean Basin. August 25-26. New Orleans, Louisiana.
Downie, D., Brash, K. and C. Vaughan. 2009. Climate Change: A Reference Handbook. Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-Clio Press. 2009.
