Dr. Valerisa Gaddy is the Community Conservation Program Director at WatershedManagement Group, where she leads efforts to promote sustainable water practices and protect Tribal water resources across Arizona.
A citizen of the Navajo Nation, Dr. Gaddy brings cultural knowledge and scientific expertise to her work in environmental justice and community-based conservation, an effort that led her to receive the 2024 The Story Exchange’s Women In Science award. Her research centers on developing and validating methods to assess microbial water quality and on translating science to Tribal communities.
She holds a PhD and MS in Environmental Science with a focus on microbiology from the University of Arizona, as well as a BS in Microbiology from New Mexico State University.