Brett Cease is pursuing his doctorate in Public Policy & Political Economy with a Geographic Information Systems (GIS) Certificate at The University of Texas at Dallas. He is originally from Bemidji, Minnesota, headwaters of the Mississippi. Brett received his Bachelor's in Psychology from Augsburg College and his Master's in Education at Bemidji State University. Brett has taught high school social studies, served as associate director for an outdoor wilderness center, lead expeditions as an instructor for Outward Bound, and volunteered with AmeriCorps for the MN GreenCorps. Passionate about civic engagement around environmental policy-making, Brett is part of the UTD Sustainability Club and next year will serve as a graduate student senator. Currently, he works as a Graduate Teaching Assistant with Environmental Economics. He looks forward to working with government and non-profit agencies connecting with existing stakeholders in finding common solutions to the intersection of environmental and economic issues.