Rosina Bierbaum (she/her) received an early introduction to pollution issues growing up in smoggy Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. Reading Rachel Carson’s “The Sea Around Us” at age 11 hooked her on having a career preserving the environment. She is a first-generation college graduate, earning a BA (English), a BS (biology), and a PhD (evolutionary ecology). Rosina is a professor in the School for Environment and Sustainability at the University of Michigan and in the School of Public Policy at the University of Maryland. Her experience extends from climate science to foreign relations and international development. Rosina served for two decades in both the legislative and executive branches of the US government. She is a member of the National Academy of Sciences.