SES Team

Leadership

Rob DeConto

Director of the School of Earth & Sustainability

Rob DeConto
Rob DeConto is a Professor of Geosciences and Director of the School of Earth & Sustainability at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Previously, he held research positions at the US National Center for Atmospheric Research and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.  Rob studies polar climate change, the response of ice sheets to a warming climate, and coastal impacts of sea-level rise. Rob serves on international science advisory boards and is a lead author for the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).
Rob DeConto
Darci Connor Maresca
SES Assistant Director, bridging academic expertise, public workforce development, and regional cross-sector partnerships.
Darci Connor Maresca
Darci Connor Maresca

SES Office

Brita Dempsey

Program Manager

Brita Dempsey portrait
Brita Dempsey joins the School of Earth & Sustainability (SES) as Program Manager, bringing over 20 years of expertise in project-based learning and the development of experiential educational frameworks. With a career spanning K-12 systems to undergraduate lab instruction, Brita specializes in building the operational systems that connect students with meaningful, real-world applications of their studies. In her role at SES, Brita is dedicated to scaling student success outcomes by expanding hands-on training and high-impact experiential learning opportunities. She will lead the growth of professional development pathways and practical field experiences that prepare the next generation of sustainability leaders. By bridging the gap between academic theory and technical training, Brita ensures that the SES ecosystem continues to thrive as a hub for solutions-focused innovation. Brita earned her Master of Science in Environmental Studies from Antioch University New England.
Brita Dempsey portrait
Katie Quigley

Communications and Outreach Manager

Woman smiles at camera
Katie Quigley is the Communications and Outreach Manager for the UMass School of Earth and Sustainability (SES). She also serves as the Communications and Outreach Manager for Climate and Cryosphere (CliC), a core project of the World Climate Research Programme (WCRP).
Woman smiles at camera
Roisin Kirby

PhD Fellow and Climate Literacy Educator

Roisin Kirby Portrait
Roisin Kirby, a PhD student in the Social Justice Education program, is the Climate Literacy Fellow at the School of Earth & Sustainability. The focus of her research is sustainability education pedagogies. Within her role at SES, she designs and implements the Climate Literacy Program. Roisin’s background is in agriculture, outdoor education and sustainability studies.
Roisin Kirby Portrait
Fatimah Rashid

Events Coordinator

Fatimah Rashid
Fatimah is a senior sustainability intern in the environmental science program. They are interested in the interplay of community-led efforts for resilience and environmental policy making, particularly in how they relate to greenwashing. At SES, they work for student engagement and outreach to co-imagine with student partners and organizations a new SES-student relationship based on reciprocity and empowerment.
Fatimah Rashid