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.

Currently, I am co-leader of 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. I serve as a board member for two nonprofit organizations: Weaving Voices for Health & Justice, dedicated to environmental health and justice, and Of Salt and Sand, dedicated to storytelling media that reckons with what it means to stay in Utah through economic transition and climate crisis.

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.