Shae Barber, M.S.

My scholarship seeks to understand human and more-than-human relationships with bodies of water, with a particular focus on how social, cultural, and emotional relationships shape environmental care and action. I investigate how dominant environmental narratives can obscure relational and agentive dimensions of water and implications for climate action, environmental justice, and collective care practices.

Currently, I serve as co-leader for the Great Salt Lake Social Science Network, a collaborative of social scientists conducting research related to Great Salt Lake in Utah. I am a researcher with the Yellowstone Region Flood Study, looking at community perceptions and disaster recovery after the devastating 2022 flooding.

Prior to beginning my doctoral studies, I was the inaugural Climate Change Studies Teaching Fellow with the Climate Change Studies program at the University of Montana, where I designed and taught a new course on Gender, Environment, and Climate Change. I was a Frédéric Bastiat Fellow in political economy with the Mercatus Center at George Mason University. I served as editor for Camas Magazine, a nationally recognized literary magazine associated with the University of Montana's Environmental Studies program. I was a Baucus Climate Scholar with the Climate Reality Project, where I researched and synthesized climate science and policy information to produce accessible and evidence-based public materials. I sat on the board for the Watershed Education Network, advising on strategic development and long-term organizational goal-setting.

My professional background spans both nonprofit and higher education sectors, bridging community-based practice and academic research. I worked at Westminster University as an Admissions Counselor and then an Academic Advisor, building my skills in student mentorship, program navigation, and supporting diverse student pathways. Prior to this, I worked as the Community Initiatives Manager at the Community Foundation of Utah. where I developed experience in community engagement, program development, and cross-sector collaboration.

I will begin my PhD in geography at York University in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, this upcoming Fall 2026 semester. I currently hold a Masters of Environmental Studies degree with a certificate in Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies from the University of Montana and an Honours Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Utah with a double major in Political Science and Communication Studies.