Andrews, whose term began in August, will serve as the Environmental Institute鈥檚 practitioner fellow for one year. The fellowship brings Andrews鈥 experience building community partnerships to UVA in a variety of ways, including working with faculty sponsor Tanya Denckla Cobb on the Resilience Adaptation Feasibility Tool, or RAFT.
The RAFT is a project directed by 麻豆破解版 Institute for Engagement and Negotiation and involves partners at Old Dominion University and Virginia Tech. It is an innovative 鈥渃ollective impact鈥 collaborative approach to climate resilience.
The RAFT team works with communities to assess needs and develop a checklist of actions to increase their resilience in the face of climate challenges. The team also helps communities find resources to address their needs. The RAFT primarily has been engaged with coastal communities and Andrews will work to adapt this tool for other communities.
Andrews also brings her community engagement, policy and legal experience to UVA through partnerships with Virginia鈥檚 Indigenous tribes. She will seek to help increase their resilience and address environmental issues such as the preservation of culturally significant natural resources during development.
Andrews, who received her law degree from American University, is an accomplished environmental attorney who has worked with the state government, nonprofits and universities.
She has served as water policy manager for the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality and as the senior assistant attorney general and section chief for the Environmental Section at the Office of the Virginia Attorney General. Most recently, Andrews was professor of practice and director of the Virginia Coastal Policy Center at William & Mary Law School.
鈥淚 am honored and excited to be appointed as the inaugural practitioner fellow for the Environmental Institute,鈥 Andrews said. 鈥淭he University of Virginia has an outstanding reputation as a flagship research university and a leader in community engagement. I look forward to working with faculty and students on researching effective adaptation policies to increase communities鈥 resilience to climate change impacts.鈥
