Tessa Varvares

Tessa Varvares is a Senior Program Coordinator at the Arctic Initiative. This position facilitates the effective management and operations of the program within the Belfer Center. She is also involved in the Permafrost Pathways project, acting as a liaison to external stakeholders and policymakers on matters regarding the impact of permafrost thaw on Arctic communities.  

Before joining the Belfer Center, Varvares served as a Peace Corps volunteer in the Venda region of South Africa. Varvares has broad experience in climate change adaptation and environmental hazard mitigation. Her work has addressed various environmental challenges, including oil spills, wildfires, permafrost thaw, and floods, all with a focus on assisting communities in their efforts to build resilience and better adapt to changes.

Varvares received her B.A. in Political Science with minors in Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality, and Africana Studies from the College of the Holy Cross. She also holds a M.A. in International Environmental Policy, specializing in Natural Resource Policy and Management, from the Middlebury Institute of International Studies.