FRANCES JAKYLOU OLEMAUN

Grant writer/administrator I at the north slope borough grants division

I'm an Inupiaq woman born and raised in Utqiagvik, Alaska. I grew up in an active cultural and subsistence lifestyle and continue to do so with family and friends. I enjoy learning more about the Inupiaq culture, especially the language. I also enjoy spending time with family when we're doing cultural or subsistence activities, and my favorite hobby is sewing.

LILI E MILLER

undergraduate student, university of Alaska fairbanks

Lili Miller is a current undergraduate student at the University of Alaska Fairbanks. She is pursuing her Bachelor of Arts in Climate and Arctic Sustainability, with a concentration in Arctic History and Politics, and a minor in Alaska Native Studies. Lili is part Tundra Nenets and hopes to use her education to support sustainable development in the Arctic, uplift Indigenous knowledge systems, and contribute to climate solutions that center community voices and cultural subsistence.

Lili was born and raised in Washington, D.C., on the ancestral lands of the Piscataway People, but now resides in Fairbanks, Alaska, on the ancestral lands of the Lower Tanana Dene people. Her research interests include the impact of warming waters on historical subsistence patterns, subsistence rights and resource management in Indigenous communities across the Circumpolar North, and cross border collaboration in the Arctic. She has published work with the Navigating the New Arctic Community Office.

HENRY C. HENSON

PHD CANDIDATE, department of ecoscience, aarhus university

Henry Churchill Henson is a PhD candidate at Aarhus University’s Department of Ecoscience and a researcher at the Arctic Research Centre. His doctoral research focuses on carbon cycling in Arctic coastal systems, with particular attention to air-sea gas exchange and ocean acidification. He is especially interested in how increasing freshwater runoff from glaciers and rivers is impacting Arctic coastal marine ecosystems.

Beyond his research, Henry is an IASC Fellow with the International Arctic Science Committee (IASC). In this role, he is involved in the Marine Working Group, where he helps support international Arctic research coordination and planning across disciplines, institutions, and national boundaries.

ROSS MANSON

junior research fellow, nato association of canada; fellow, canadian maritime security network

Ross Manson is a Junior Research Fellow at the NATO Association of Canada and a Fellow with the Canadian Maritime Security Network (CMSN), focusing on Canadian defence, national security, and the strategic changes in the Arctic. He earned a Master of Arts in Global Security and Strategy (Cum Laude) from the Brussels School of Governance. His academic work, including his thesis "Beyond Hard Security," examines the links between climate change, militarization, and human security in the North American Arctic.

In addition to his research, Ross actively leads in the international policy sphere as Co-Founder and Executive Director of the North Atlantic Policy Forum (NAPF). Established in 2025, the NAPF offers a platform for young professionals and academics to share a wide range of policy ideas with both public and private sectors on the future of the North Atlantic region.

Ross also brings a practical background in public service and operational strategy, having served as a Citizen Service Officer with Service Canada and as a wargaming intern at the Belgian Defence College. A native English speaker with proficiency in French, he is committed to integrating human-centric approaches into Arctic defence and to analyzing the strategic role of the Canadian Armed Forces within international frameworks.

JOANNA KELLY

rural environmental program specialist, zender environmental health and research group

My name is Joanna Kelly. I work for Zender Environmental Health and Research Group as a Rural Environmental Program Specialist. Our environmental nonprofit that provides free technicals assistance and training to rural communities and tribes across Alaska on environmental issues, such as solid waste management, water, quality, and climate adaptation and mitigation. I am also a student at the University of Denver pursuing a Master’s in Environmental Policy and Management. Although I was born in Florida, I was raised in Guatemala, where my early experiences shaped my commitment to improving environmental and public health in underserved communities.

Through my work, I help communities develop sustainable waste practices, monitor water quality, and prepare for the increasing impacts of climate change. I am passionate about protecting environmental resources, improving environmental infrastructure, and supporting community-driven solutions. I hope to continue learning from others, expanding my knowledge, and building connections with people dedicated to creating a more equitable future.

MAYA POVHE

GRADUATE STUDENT, harvard graduate school of education

Maya is a student at the Harvard Graduate School of Education with multidisciplinary research interests spanning labour, policy, education, climate and technology. She is currently working at the Harvard Kennedy School's Arctic Initiative and was previously a fellow at Canada’s Centre for International Governance Innovation. Outside of work, she volunteers on various projects dedicated to building education opportunities and improving young peoples’ career outcomes.

ELEANOR GREENBAUM

policy fellow, alaska center for climate assessment and preparedness

Eleanor Greenbaum is a Policy Fellow with the Alaska Center for Climate Assessment and Preparedness (ACCAP) through the Alaska Fellows Program. In this capacity, she examines the Alaskan climate policy landscape and creates local policy-oriented materials focused on extreme weather. She is a recent graduate of Georgetown University, where she received an M.S. in Environment and International Affairs, and specialized in human-focused environmental security challenges. She also holds a Bachelor's degree in International Affairs from George Washington University. Her experience spans several research assistantships focused on water-conflict dynamics, think tank and nonprofit work with the Wilson Center’s Environmental Change and Security Program and the Women’s Foreign Policy Group, and government experience with the State Department’s Office of Global Women’s Issues. Eleanor is passionate about building local climate preparedness to contribute to all-of-society resilience, both domestically and internationally.