Stephanie Fischer
Stephanie Fischer is a first year Ph.D. student in Earth Systems Science and is a Ph.D. minor with the Center for Comparative Studies in Race and Ethnicity. She holds a B.S. in Earth Systems and B.A. in Music Composition from Stanford University. She is interested in community-led solutions that help build resilience and environmental justice in the face of natural hazards and disasters, and identifies institutions and interventions that may support and scale these solutions. She is also interested in the ways culture, identity, language and place are important to develop effective messaging during emergency situations.
Stephanie has had these research interests ever since she and her family became survivors of Hurricane Sandy in 2012. It was a first-hand experience on the multifaceted ways underserved communities bear disproportionate financial and emotional burden during and post disaster. During her undergraduate career she explored different disciplines that could further her studies in environmental justice –including history, economics, environmental studies –even art and music. One formative experience was with a program now known as the Stanford Future Bay Initiative (SFBI). Stephanie found it rewarding to participate in an interdisciplinary team, and meet with local partners to make sure the team's work was providing the most relevant analyses for the community. This experience illuminated her passion for community-engaged research and qualitative-based work –particularly interviews. Now as a staff member, Stephanie is a contributor to community-based research studies and a mentor for students learning qualitative methods –both in the Wong-Parodi lab and SFBI.
“By centering human experiences and working collaboratively with community partners, I think we can find really innovative solutions towards environmental justice."
Outside the lab, Stephanie is a freelance composer and soprano. She’s a proud New Yorker from a FLI (first-generation and low income) background, loves to travel to new places, and drink lots of "cawfee".
