Diana Pietri

Diana Pietri

Senior Social Scientist

Designing equitable solutions for sustainable environmental conservation and management efforts is a constantly challenging, rewarding endeavor. I love collaborating closely with our clients to develop strategies that promote environmental and climate resilience and justice—including evaluating environmental program effectiveness and identifying innovative best practices for coastal and ocean planning.


Dr. Diana Pietri (she/her/hers), a senior social scientist at ERG's Blue Earth Team, has more than 14 years’ experience in natural resource management and policy, participatory research and community-based solutions, program evaluation, climate resilience and adaptation, and collaborative processes. She has worked with foundations, government agencies, nonprofits, community organizations, and academic institutions. She collaborates with clients and communities to equitably strengthen resilience to environmental threats and find ways to make organizational structures more effective.

Diana has led projects to assess marine protected area effectiveness, evaluate the impacts and durability of grantmaking portfolios, develop fundraising and strategic business plans, and design strategies to strengthen the resilience and management of natural and working lands and restoration projects. She has also led projects to understand volumes of plastic waste used in various sectors (e.g., agriculture), identify strategies to minimize the creation of new plastic waste, and identify opportunities for innovative uses of plastic waste. Other project work has involved developing equitable and just climate change policy and adaptation strategies, building the capacity of local practitioners in vulnerable coastal communities in the United States and internationally, designing and leading community outreach and engagement activities, and designing strategies to strengthen protected area stewardship.

Diana holds a B.A. in ecology, evolution, and environmental biology from Columbia University; a Master of Marine Affairs from the University of Washington’s School of Marine and Environmental Affairs; and a Ph.D. from the University of Washington’s School of Environmental and Forest Sciences. Outside work, Diana spends her time practicing aerial silks and hiking around the Bay Area in search of the perfect kid- and dog-friendly trail with great coastal and ocean views.