Andrea K. Gerlak, PhD

2026 Distinguished Mentor

Dr. Gerlak has more two decades of experience leading interdisciplinary environmental studies programs and university-community environmental partnerships. She has been a faculty member at Guilford College and Columbia University. For nearly a decade, she served as the director of academic development with the International Studies Association where she facilitated academic development across ISA’s academic sections, including developing programs to foster junior scholar engagement and cross-disciplinarity in international studies. She has consulted on water governance and climate resilience efforts for UNESCO and the WMO.

Presently, Dr. Gerlak serves on the City of Tucson’s Water Advisory Committee. She most recently served on the Water Infrastructure Finance Authority of Arizona’s Water Conservation Grant Committee. And Dr. Gerlak recently served as a co-editor for the  Journal of Environmental Policy and Planning, an international journal published by Taylor and Francis providing a forum for the critical analysis of environmental policy and planning.