Andrew Carter works on wildlife conservation policy at the Center for Conservation Innovation (CCI) at Defenders of Wildlife, where he researches and analyzes conservation governance strategies and emerging policy issues, and works with other CCI members to develop innovative approaches to habitat and species protection. He has held this position for over a year.
Before joining CCI, Andrew was Research Director at Miami Waterkeeper, an environmental non-profit focused on water quality, habitat protection, and climate change resilience in South Florida, taught graduate environmental law and policy courses at the University of Miami, and practiced law in New York and Florida. Before receiving his M.A. in Marine Conservation and Policy (MCP) from Stony Brook University, Andrew got his J.D. from the University of Miami School of Law. After graduation from the MCP program he went on to get a Ph.D. in Environmental Science and Policy from the University of Miami. Andrew’s capstone project for the MCP program examined the impacts of fracking on marine ecosystems, which he states “helped set the stage for later PhD work.” Andrew notes that the highlights of the program were the field courses, which allowed him to broaden his horizons with hands-on experience, and encourages current and prospective students to “be open and flexible to what you study and work in and take advantage of the variety of courses offered by SoMAS.”