Madeleine Siegel

Madeleine is a recent doctoral graduate in Environmental Science & Engineering at UCLA’s Institute of the Environment and Sustainability, where her research examined climate adaptation, environmental policy, and community engagement. Drawing on qualitative methods including semi-structured interviews with community-based organizations, practitioners, and decision-makers, her work investigated how infrastructure investments can be designed to advance equity and long-term climate resilience.

Her policy experience spans federal, state, and municipal levels. As a Water Policy Research Fellow with the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), she synthesized technical data to assess climate adaptation implications and support resilience planning. At the New York State Attorney General’s Office, she authored policy memos analyzing state-level climate legislation and environmental regulation. At Columbia Law School’s Sabin Center for Climate Change Law, she directed research evaluating how environmental reviews incorporate climate adaptation and land use planning considerations.

Madeleine holds a Master of Science from Columbia University and a Bachelor of Science with Honors from UC Berkeley. Her writing has appeared in the Los Angeles Times and Climate Currents, the publication of UCLA’s Center for Diverse Leadership in Science.

In 2021, she hiked the 2,200-mile Appalachian Trail from Georgia to Maine.