PhD Spotlight: Lee-Gray Boze

Managing oceanic energy deposits

My doctoral research focuses on ocean governance—examining how different stakeholders perceive the challenges of managing vast energy deposits that pose significant environmental risks alongside potential economic opportunities. I have spent my entire career in science and research and feel deeply connected to the earth systems I study and the environments my work is related to, including the ocean and polar regions. Despite my dedication and enthusiasm for science, which we need now more than ever, there seems to be a gap between science and policy that I feel needs to be reconciled. Policy often does not incorporate good science into its structure, and science is often misaligned with the needs of stakeholders, leading to us not asking the right questions.

“Policy often does not incorporate good science into its structure, and science is often misaligned with the needs of stakeholders, leading to us not asking the right questions.”

Connecting to the Arctic

I spent much of my childhood in Alaska and have felt a connection to the Arctic that has never left. As the world changes, the Arctic is changing even faster and is a bellwether for the rest of the planet. I have also spent most of my career with the federal government and feel that institutions are not serving stakeholders as well as we can or should. Often, they are excluded from the policy table, creating long-term challenges that are difficult or impossible to fix. At the same time, I feel that science has been underappreciated in many policy spheres, facing a mismatch with many policy objectives.

Protecting the marine environment

I aspire to contribute to the development of effective international governance frameworks that can address emerging environmental challenges where science, policy, and security intersect. My doctoral work on oceanic governance provides a foundation for understanding how we can create nimble, multilateral governance systems that utilize and protect our marine environment while accounting for diverse stakeholder interests and objectives.