Dr. Yekaterina "Katia" Kontar serves as the International Global Change Science Lead at the USGCRP NCO. She is responsible for coordinating and overseeing the implementation of USGCRP’s interagency activities to promote international cooperation on global change research. Katia joined USGCRP from the National Science Foundation (NSF), Office of Polar Programs where she served as an AAAS Science & Technology Policy Fellow. Prior to her Fellowship, Katia completed her postdoc in science diplomacy at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy (Tufts University) in Boston, MA, and served as an International Science Lead at the Future Earth U.S. Hub in Boulder, CO. Katia earned her Ph.D. in geoscience communication and policy at the University of Alaska Fairbanks. She also holds an M.B.A. in public administration and a B.A. in international communications and public relations from the University of Findlay. Katia's research background and expertise lie in the fields of natural hazards and risk reduction and Arctic resilience.