Meet our Staff

Dr. Henning (he/him/his) is Professor of Philosophy and of Environmental Studies & Science at Gonzaga University and is the inaugural director and founder of the Gonzaga Institute for Climate, Water, and the Environment. Originally from Boise, Idaho, Dr. Henning joined Gonzaga’s faculty in 2008. He earned a B.A. summa cum laude from Seattle University and an M.A., M.Phil., and Ph.D. from Fordham University. An award-winning author, Dr. Henning has written or edited 17 books and 45 articles, chapters, and reports, including Riders in the Storm: Ethics in an Age of Climate Change (Anselm 2015), Climate Change Ethics and the Non-human World (Routledge 2020), and Value, Beauty, and Nature (SUNY 2023). He has delivered more than 190 talks to general and academic audiences in North America, Europe, and Asia. Over the course of his career, Dr. Henning has been awarded more than $25 million dollars in external grants.

Director Henning can be reached at henning@gonzaga.edu. For more on his work, visit https://connect.gonzaga.edu/henning.

Karli (she/her/hers) is originally from Reno, Nevada and has lived in Spokane since 2014. She is a Gonzaga University alumna with a BA in Environmental Studies and a MA in Leadership Studies. Karli has hands-on experience teaching environmental education in the classroom and enjoys helping people understand and take action on climate change. In her free time, she likes to read, knit, and go outside with her husband and their dog, Rosie.

Karli can be reached at honebein@gonzaga.edu

Dante (they/them/ella) grew up in an apple orchard in Orondo, WA. They have a BA in Peace Studies from Whitworth University and an MSc in Climate Change and Development from the University of London. Their commitment to environmental and climate justice was born from their experiences growing up close neighbors with migrant farmworkers, serving in Peace Corps Paraguay, researching the impact of climate change on small-scale agroforestry systems, and witnessing the impacts of climate events on unhoused LGBTQ+ community members in Spokane. Dante speaks English, Spanish, and Guarani. They enjoy spending their free time reading sci-fi novels, thrifting at local shops, and soaking up all the sunshine they can. 

Dante can be reached at jester@gonzaga.edu

Katelyn (she/her/hers) is originally from Astoria, Oregon. After fifteen years on the westside, she and her husband returned to Spokane in 2021 to raise their daughter Remy. She graduated from Western Washington University with a BA in English Literature and Lake Washington Institute of Tech, where she studied HR Management. Katelyn has spent the past ten years working in Microsoft's University Recruiting organization. After enjoying a career in connecting graduates and interns to their first roles in the workforce, Katelyn is very excited to join Gonzaga and have an opportunity to build her passion around climate and environmental work. In her free time, she enjoys taking her daughter to new libraries and walking her dogs, Li'l Abner and Thom Yorkie.

Katelyn can be reached at carrollk@gonzaga.edu. 

Kara (she/her/hers) is the instructor for Gonzaga’s professional certificate in Climate Action Planning. Born and raised in Spokane, Kara is considered a boomeranger who returned home after spending time living in Seattle and Singapore. Kara has a Master’s in Leadership for Sustainability from the University of Vermont and a Bachelor’s in English from the University of Washington. She is a practiced communicator and community leader with over 25 years of experience working with multinational, national and local organizations across multiple industries and sectors. Kara spent four years using a collaborative leadership model to guide climate action planning for the City of Spokane. Spokane’s plan and the process they developed now serves as a template for other municipalities developing their own climate action plans.

Kara can be reached at odegard@gonzaga.edu

Mary (she/her/hers) is a native to Spokane who has recently returned to her hometown after having spent the last decade on the move. She played Division I soccer and graduated from the University of Idaho with a BS in Psychology, BA in Spanish, and a BA in Philosophy. Mary spent 3 years in rural Panama as a Peace Corps volunteer before completing her Masters in International Affairs at Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies in Bologna, Italy. She has worked as a research consultant for Columbia University, the EAT-Lancet Commission 2.0, Inspiratia, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, as well as Johns Hopkins University. Mary speaks English, Spanish, Italian, and a bit of German. In her free time, she enjoys gardening, making little snacks for her friends, taking solo trips to new places, and reading non-fiction.

Mary can be reached at condonm@gonzaga.edu

Lauren (She/her/hers) grew up in Livermore, California, and later attended UC Santa Cruz, graduating with a BS in Marine Biology. After graduation she spent five years working in Outdoor Education/Science Camp in the Santa Cruz mountains, where she discovered her passion for teaching others about the environment and providing unique hands-on learning opportunities. In the Summer of ’24 she moved with her husband to Spokane Valley. She is excited to join the team at Gonzaga to share her experiences while teaching others how to learn about the environment. In her free time Lauren enjoys a wide variety of crafting hobbies and training her dogs Godric and Riker.

Lauren can be reached at kaiserl@gonzaga.edu

Ella (she/her/hers) is a sophomore majoring in Environmental Science. She is from Maple Valley, Washington and enjoys reading, listening to music, playing water polo, and spending time with her friends. She is passionate about marine biology and developing sustainable agriculture. 

Aoife (ee-fa) (she/her/hers) is a junior studying Marketing with minors in Communications Studies and Leadership at Gonzaga. She's from Seattle, Washington and loves to hike, run, and grab lots of coffee. When she can, Aoife loves to travel, and just spent last spring in Florence studying abroad. She is really excited to get more involved working on marketing/implementing sustainable practices and giving back to our environment. 

Joe (he/him/his) is a junior studying environmental studies with a minor in journalism. He is from Chicago, Illinois and enjoys mountain bike racing, rock climbing, backpacking, hockey and storm chasing. Joe's love for the environment began in scouting, where he earned Eagle Scout! He is passionate about studying how climate change influences weather patterns. 

Leah (she/her/hers) is a sophomore majoring in Environmental Science with minors in Biology and Leadership studies. She's from Portland, Oregon and loves hiking, yoga, running, and writing. She aims to work in conservation, finding purpose in reworking human impact on the environment. 

Dr. John Traynor (he/him/his) is Associate Professor at Gonzaga University in the Department of Teacher Education where he specializes in the Foundations of Education, Teaching in the Middle School, and Community and Place-Based Education. John received his B.A. from the University of Washington in Political Science, went on to receive his Masters in Teaching in Secondary Social Studies from Seattle University, and finally received his PhD in Culture Studies and Social Thought in Education from Washington State University. Prior to coming to Gonzaga, John taught for nine years as a high school social studies teacher. John's current work involves partnership efforts with local K-12 schools throughout the region. John is an avid outdoorsman with passions for skiing, biking and fly fishing.

John is a key contributor to the Institute's Climate Literacy Project

Dr. Baumgardner (he/him/his) is an Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering at Gonzaga University in Spokane, Washington, where he joined the faculty in the fall of 2015. He received dual B.S. degrees in Chemistry and Chemical Engineering from the University of West Georgia and the Georgia Institute of Technology, respectively in 2005. After his undergraduate studies he worked for UOP, a Honeywell Company (a petrochemical technology firm) as a Process Specialist and Technical Expert in Gasoline Refining Technology. In 2014 he received his Ph.D. from Colorado State University specializing in the thermal sciences with a focus on renewable fuels and advanced internal combustion engines. He teaches courses in Thermodynamics, Fluid Mechanics, and Heat Transfer. Current research interests include fundamental combustion studies, internal combustion engines, advanced engine strategies, chemical kinetics, fuel reactivity metrics, alternative/renewable fuels, biofuels, CFD and modeling of combustion systems, and biomass cookstoves.

Marc is a key contributor to the Institute's Climate Resilience Project 

Dr. Isacoff (he/him/his) is Professor of Political Science and Environmental Studies at Gonzaga University. Dr. Isacoff was the founding chair of the Environmental Studies Department at Gonzaga and served in that role from 2006 till 2015. He received his B.A. and M.P.A. from Cornell University and his M.A. and Ph.D. from the University of Pennsylvania. He co-teaches a class, “Climate Change Science and Politics,” with Dr. Hugh Lefcort of the Biology Department.

Jonathan is a key contributor to the Institute's Climate Resilience Project