Mary Sagatelova

Growing up in Cleveland, Mary was surrounded by all the political buzz typically found in a Midwestern battleground state. But with neighboring wetlands, parks, and an exponentially worsening pollution problem in Lake Erie, the value of nature preservation became ingrained along side other major electoral issues. Mary took her environmental interests to The Ohio State University, where she received a Bachelor's degree in Biology. After working as a field research assistant, traveling across the country to survey plant populations, Mary saw firsthand the importance of protecting America's natural spaces, and her early-found interest in conservation was reignited!

Mary returned to Ohio State for her Masters in Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology, studying conservation genetics and developing machine learning algorithms to streamline the conservation process. Hoping to better understand the politics of environmental issues, Mary additionally received a Masters of Public Administration from the John Glenn College of Public Affairs. This cemented an interdisciplinary understanding of climate issues beyond the traditional scope of science, but through the lens of historical, sociological, and economic issues. Prior to Third Way, Mary has applied her multidisciplinary skillset across various initiatives, working to address the ongoing climate crisis while also eliminating structural and racial discrimination.

Mary joins Third Way's Climate and Energy Program as the Senior Advocacy Advisor, blending politics and public opinions research to help convey critical issues within the national climate and clean energy debate. When she's not working, Mary spends her free time recreating showstoppers from 'The Great British Bake-Off', painting, and reading.