Credit: Maya Lee
California Sea Grant and the Delta Stewardship Council are excited to announce the appointment of Dr. Tara Pozzi as a California Sea Grant Extension Specialist in a shared position between the two organizations. In this role, Pozzi will advance social science research and community engagement in California's Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta region.
Pozzi joins California Sea Grant's statewide network of extension specialists who bridge the gap between scientific research and practical application. These specialists work directly with coastal and inland communities, businesses and policymakers to translate science-based information into actionable solutions for California's environmental and economic challenges. Pozzi will focus on integrating social science perspectives into water and environmental decision-making processes throughout the Delta.
The Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta represents one of California's most critical natural resources, with two-thirds of the state's residents receiving at least some water supply from it. Its habitats also support over 750 fish and wildlife species, including Chinook salmon and other species crucial to both commercial and sport fishing in the state. This unique ecosystem faces mounting environmental pressures, including increased flooding, water quality challenges and rising temperatures that threaten both ecological health and human communities.
The Council was created by the California Legislature in 2009 to advance the State’s coequal goals for the Delta — a more reliable statewide water supply and a healthy and protected ecosystem — in a manner that protects and enhances the unique characteristics of the Delta as an evolving place.
California Sea Grant and the Delta Stewardship Council have collaborated since 2003, partnering to fund research projects and fellowship programs. Pozzi's appointment expands this partnership.
"Dr. Pozzi brings the kind of interdisciplinary expertise we need to tackle the complex social and environmental challenges facing the Delta," says Dr. Lisamarie Windham-Myers, lead scientist for the Delta Science Program. "Her social science background, combined with her understanding of agricultural communities and water management, positions her perfectly to help us better integrate human dimensions into our science-based decision-making."
California Sea Grant Director Dr. Shauna Oh says, "Tara's appointment allows us to strengthen the connection between research and real-world applications. She will help us reach stakeholders who need science-based tools for the challenges they're facing every day."
Pozzi brings extensive experience in computational social science, a quantitative approach that uses statistical methods to analyze phenomena such as social networks, interorganizational collaboration patterns and collective decision-making. Her recent Ph.D. work at the University of California, Davis, supported by a Delta Science Fellowship, focused on adaptation governance needs and included interviews with nearly 50 practitioners across the region. She followed this with a comprehensive survey to measure the social processes behind water and environmental management in the region.
A California native from Salinas who grew up in a multigenerational farming family, Pozzi blends personal understanding of agricultural challenges with rigorous academic training. She earned her bachelor's degree at Santa Clara University, where she first worked on a number of water infrastructure projects, then completed a master's degree at Boise State University examining the adoption of new flood risk management technologies. Her professional experience includes water resource engineering work throughout the San Francisco Bay Area.
In her new role, Pozzi will focus on three key areas: improving collaboration networks among the variety of organizations working on Delta environmental issues, analyzing trade-offs and implementation opportunities for adaptation strategies and developing comprehensive monitoring approaches for the human dimensions of Delta management. This area has received less attention than ecological monitoring despite its importance.
"The Delta sits at the center of so many of California's most pressing conversations about water, agriculture, environment and society," says Pozzi. "I'm excited to help lead efforts to bring social science research into decisions about managing the Delta."
Based in Sacramento, Pozzi will work primarily from her office at UC Davis, while regularly visiting the Delta Stewardship Council in order to facilitate close collaboration between academic research and policy implementation.
About the Delta Stewardship Council
Created by the Delta Reform Act in 2009, the Delta Stewardship Council is composed of members who represent different parts of the state and offer diverse expertise in fields such as agriculture, science, the environment, and public service. For more information visit deltacouncil.ca.gov/
About California Sea Grant
NOAA's California Sea Grant College Program funds marine research, education and outreach throughout California. Headquartered at Scripps Institution of Oceanography at the University of California San Diego, California Sea Grant is one of 34 Sea Grant programs in the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), U.S. Department of Commerce.