Heather M. Yocum is a Research Scientist at CIRES and the Lead Social Scientist at the North Central Climate Adaptation Science Center. An environmental anthropologist and political ecologist, Heather studies how culture and social systems impact the way that people understand and interact with the environment in order to facilitate climate change adaptation. Her research interests include how climate and weather information are produced and used in decision-making, environmental justice and inclusion, and changing patterns of land use and natural resource management in the face of climate change. Heather has extensive experience collaborating with interdisciplinary research teams and the natural resource management community to support the creation and application of useful and usable climate science to support decision-making and climate adaptation. Heather received her Ph.D. in Anthropology from Michigan State University and was a Fulbright IIE Student Fellow.