About Me

Hi there! I’m Alissa Murray. Welcome to my website.

I am a sustainability scientist and practitioner, resilience scholar, and a lifelong writer.

My career has spanned many fields over the years, and my multi-disciplinary background includes sustainability science and practice, international development, and environmental science, coupled with physics, visual art, and creative writing, among others.

My work currently focuses on various interconnected sustainability and resilience themes, including urban sustainability, climate resilience, climate vulnerability and risk assessment (particular for extreme climate events), disaster resilience, and multi-sectoral sustainable development projects. My work has spanned projects in the Middle East, Latin America, and Africa, as well as global programs.

I currently maintain an independent sustainability and resilience consulting practice. For more information about my consulting work, please see my Services.

Some notable professional experiences include my work with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), where I led the development of the Generation Restoration Cities digital platform on urban nature restoration, with the aim of supporting policymakers and urban residents to uptake restoration practices. With WaterAid, I developed and managed grant-funded water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) projects, in Colombia and Sub-Saharan Africa. Through this role, I had the opportunity to live and work in Riohacha, Colombia, strengthening program delivery and grant management within the WaterAid Colombia office. At The Sustainability Laboratory, I led operations of a lean sustainability nonprofit, managing organizational functions including fundraising, communications, HR, accounting, and program management. In this role, I supported multi-sectoral, international sustainable development projects that incorporate systems thinking in a holistic sustainability approach. My experience also includes environmental science and consulting experience, on international projects such as NEOM, as well as for the U.S. government.

My long-term vision is to advance sustainability on a global scale. I look forward to continuing to apply my skills as a scientist, communicator, and program leader to advance urgent sustainability and resilience aims.

A past project includes In Locamotion, a travel blog dedicated to the intersection of travel with sustainability and social justice, which is now maintained online as an archive of sustainable travel resources. I am also a Senior Advisor to the RISE Travel Institute.

In my free time I enjoy biking, dancing, traveling, language learning, and tough hikes with phenomenal views.