NNA-CO Advisory Board

Nikoosh Carlo - Advisory Boards Lead & Co-Chair

nikoosh@cncnorthconsulting.com

Dr. Nikoosh Carlo (Co-PI) is Koyukon Athabascan, CEO of CNC North Consulting, and the co-chair of the NNA-CO advisory boards. In this role she leads the boards in ensuring the work of the NNA-CO is grounded in our guiding principles and that the boards’ guidance is integrated into NNA-CO activities. As the founder and chief strategist of CNC North Consulting, Dr. Carlo, helps clients develop a vision for their climate change and Arctic priorities and build momentum to achieve change. She has worked across political divides for State Senators, Ambassadors, and Governors on issues of Arctic governance. Her true passion is working with organizations that support climate change equity, and the well-being of Arctic residents and Indigenous peoples.

Oceana Francis - Board Member

Dr. Oceana Puananilei Francis (Native Hawaiian) is a Professor in civil engineering at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa in Honolulu, HI; and affiliate faculty at the International Arctic Research Center in Fairbanks, AK. She has worked on numerous engineering projects throughout Hawaii and Alaska since 2000 to promote healthy coastal ecosystems (e.g. Hawaiian fishponds, coral reef health, sea ice impacts to Northern communities); and create sustainable local communities in Hawaii and Alaska. Francis is a co-PI for the NSF NNA project: Nonlinear Reduced Order Modeling Framework for Marine Structures. Some additional appointments include serving as editor for the Journal of Atmospheric and Oceanic Technology; and as Region 8 Governor of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) assigned to Alaska and Hawaii. She received her MS at the University of Alaska Anchorage and PhD at the University of Alaska Fairbanks.

Máret J. Heatta - Board Member

Máret J. Heatta is a Sami who grew up in Guovdageaidnu, Norway, a community that is rich in Sami culture and language. Her connection to the land and Sami traditions runs deep, as she was raised in an environment where subsistence activities were integral to daily life. Currently, Máret works at the Saami Council, in the Arctic environmental unit, leading the project Climate Impacts on Terrestrial Ecosystems (CITE) focused on understanding the impacts of climate change on Indigenous livelihoods. In her work, she emphasizes the importance of collaboration, striving to bridge Indigenous knowledge and Western science to develop adaptive climate policies. She is also pursuing a PhD on the same theme, studying at the Arctic University of Tromsø and Saami College of Applied Sciences. Máret has experience working as a teacher at all levels in Indigenous communities in Sápmi and Alaska, consistently including Indigenous knowledge into her teaching to enhance its relevance. Looking ahead, Máret aims to further her work on the co-production of knowledge, ensuring that Indigenous voices and knowledge are incorporated into environmental policies.

Matt Heavner - Board Member

Dr. Matt Heavner is a Senior Scientist at Los Alamos National Lab (LANL) and is the Climate and Clean Energy Coordinator for LANL. Heavner is committed to co-production of knowledge, in part through his involvement in the NSF SEARCH program. During 2020-2023, Matt served as Senior Advisor at the Arctic Energy Office at the Department of Energy (DOE). Matt coordinated Arctic activities across DOE, represented DOE in Arctic coordination across the U.S. federal interagency, and led the development of DOE’s Arctic Strategy. In 2014-2016, Heavner was the Assistant Director of Global Security at the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP).  At OSTP, Matt worked on a range of issues including Arctic science and security; nuclear issues including strategic deterrence, non-proliferation, nuclear energy, and medical isotope production; and civilian earth observations and national security space issues. From 2003-2010, Heavner was a tenured Professor of Physics at the University of Alaska Southeast with diverse geophysical interests including subglacial hydrology, distributed sensor web monitoring of partially glaciated watersheds, and satellite remote sensing. Dr. Heavner earned his PhD in Physics from the University of Alaska Fairbanks and his bachelor degrees in Physics, Mathematics, and Philosophy from Southwestern University.

Corina Qaaġraq Kramer - Board Member

Corina Qaaġraq Kramer, of Iñupiaq descent from Noorvik and Kotzebue, Alaska, is a community leader with extensive frontline experience. She specializes in integrating traditional Indigenous knowledge with Western practices and policy to improve the well-being and sovereignty of Native communities. Her advocacy aims to restore Indigenous peoples' rights to leadership and revive their connections to culture, land, and communities. Corina founded Mumik Consulting to support Indigenous-serving organizations and initiatives and is Co-Founder/CEO and Course Instructor for Respectful Research, providing resources to the research community such as the Effective Community Engagement online course. She has developed and led initiatives like Leadership Through Generations, which nurtures emerging Alaska Native youth leaders. Additionally, Corina serves as Faculty and Community Director at Siamit, a program at Harvard Medical School Center for Global Health Delivery.

Stanislav Saas Ksenofontov - Board Member

Dr. Stanislav Saas Ksenofontov is an Indigenous Sakha social scientist from Sakha Sire (Sakha homelands) in Northeastern Siberia. In his research, Stanislav aims to decolonize western science-based system of knowledge and to bring Indigenous ways of knowing and being. Dr. Ksenofontov holds a Ph.D. in human geography from the University of Zurich, Switzerland.  Currently, he is a postdoctoral scholar at the ARCTICenter, University of Northern Iowa, USA where he examines the vulnerability of Arctic Indigenous social-ecological systems to global change drivers, namely climate change, industrial development, socio-political transformations. Other research interests include Arctic Indigenous sustainability, Arctic urbanization, Indigenous identities, Russian energy megaprojects. Other than research, Dr. Ksenofontov serves as a Fellowship Coordinator at the International Arctic Science Committee. 

Stacey Lucason - Board Member

Stacey Kangipneq Lucason is a dual-citizen of the Ninilchik Tribe and United States of America. She is of Yup’ik and Scandinavian descent, and makes her home on Dena’ina lands near Anchorage, Alaska. She works presently as a parent, community advocate, and in her role with Kawerak as a Tribal Research Coordinator in support of the interests of Tribes in the Bering Straits Region. Much of her work has been in expanding access and creating pathways for Indigenous Peoples to excel in all facets of life. She has been involved in shaping institutions of higher education and public research to better serve Indigenous Peoples, continues to build connections across the Arctic with researchers and policymakers, and is always seeking ways to live authentically as a modern Yup’ik person.

Robert Orttung - Board Member

rorttung@gwu.edu

Dr. Robert Orttung is Professor of Sustainability and International Affairs and Director of the Sustainability Research Institute at the George Washington University. Orttung is the lead PI for two National Science Foundation Navigating the New Arctic projects: Measuring Urban Sustainability in Transition and Arctic Cruise Ship Tourism. He is the editor of Urban Sustainability in the Arctic: Measuring Progress in Circumpolar Cities (NY: Berghahn, 2020). He has published extensively on Arctic topics and issues related to the development of Ukraine and Russia’s political systems. Orttung received a B.A. in Russian Studies from Stanford University and both a M.A. and Ph.D. in Political Science from the University of California, Los Angeles. 

Asisaun Toovak - Board Member

Asisaun Toovak is the esteemed Mayor of Utqiaġvik, Alaska, a role she undertook in November 2022 following six years of dedicated service on the City Council. With a steadfast commitment to her community and a profound understanding of its needs, Mayor Toovak exemplifies principled leadership and tireless advocacy. Drawing from her background as a Public Health Project Manager in the North Slope Borough Health & Social Services Prevention Program, Mayor Toovak has shown exceptional foresight and effectiveness in addressing public health challenges. Her proactive approach to healthcare and wellness reflects her unwavering commitment to the well-being of Utqiaġvik's residents. Proudly embracing her Inupiaq heritage, Mayor Toovak's roots run deep in Utqiaġvik, where she was born and raised. Her upbringing, shaped by the teachings of her parents, Bertha and Joseph Panigeo Jr., instilled in her a profound appreciation for traditional activities such as hunting, whaling, and camping, which she continues to enjoy with her own family. As a person deeply rooted in her community, Mayor Toovak brings a wealth of experience, empathy, and insight to her role. Her leadership is characterized by a profound respect for tradition, a forward-thinking approach to governance, and an unwavering commitment to the well-being of all Utqiaġvik residents.

We thank our previous board members for their service and contributions to the NNA Community Office’s work and in support of the broader Arctic research community. Previous board members include:

  • Jessica Black
  • Andrea Akalleq Burgess
  • Malinda Chase
  • Lisa Ellana
  • Shari Fox
  • Mohammad Heidari Kapourchali
  • Mellisa Maktuayaq Johnson
  • Liza Mack
  • Andrey Petrov
  • Julie Raymond-Yakobian
  • Alexa Reedman
  • Gunn-Britt Retter
  • Sandy Starkweather
  • Jaylene Wheeler
  • Ming Xiao