Joshua Uebelherr

I hold a BA with a dual major in Biology and Environmental Conservation: Climatology, followed by an MSc in Ecology from Duke University. In 2017, I completed my PhD in Public Administration and Policy at Arizona State University’s School of Public Affairs. My dissertation, Examining Hazard Governance from a Complex Systems Perspective, explored extreme heat risk reduction through the operation of cooling centers within the Maricopa County Heat Relief Network. This work integrated qualitative interviews with network managers and organizers alongside quantitative agent-based modeling to assess system dynamics and governance structures.

Since 2018, I have been a Faculty Associate at ASU and Grand Canyon University, teaching undergraduate and graduate courses in public administration. I previously served as the City of Phoenix Climate Program Manager, where I led development of the city’s Climate Action Plan. In this role, I prioritized and implemented policies and programs to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, strengthen climate adaptation efforts, and ensure that environmental justice considerations were embedded throughout. Before that, I spent nearly 5 years as a Senior Air Quality Planner with the Maricopa County Air Quality Department, focusing on emissions inventories and leading special projects to reduce air pollution.