Vanessa Vargas-Nguyen

Dr. Vanessa Vargas-Nguyen serves as Science Integrator at the Integration and Application Network of the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science, where she specializes in transdisciplinary collaboration and socio-environmental governance. After completing her BS and MS in Molecular Biology and Marine Science from the University of the Philippines, followed by MS and PhD degrees from the University of Maryland, she has established herself as a pioneer in socio-environmental assessment methodologies. Her work focuses on developing holistic approaches to environmental challenges through science communication and stakeholder engagement. As the first PhD graduate under UMCES's Environment and Society foundation, she has significantly influenced understanding of how socio-environmental report cards can facilitate transdisciplinary collaboration. Through her leadership of international research consortia spanning the US, Norway, Philippines, Japan, and India, she continues to advance environmental governance while promoting innovative approaches to stakeholder engagement. Her expertise particularly shines in developing assessment tools for complex watersheds, demonstrated through her work on the Mississippi River and Chesapeake Bay projects. Currently leading multiple transdisciplinary initiatives, she combines her background in molecular biology with social science approaches to address complex environmental challenges through collaborative solutions.