Yumna Kamel
Co-founder and Executive Director (U.K.)
Alongside executive duties, Yumna spearheads our Legal Advocacy project –– conducting legal research for live cases featuring elements of climate migration and raising the international legal community’s awareness for the issue –– all of which sets the foundation for Earth Refuge’s future social impact litigation.
Yumna is also the Legal Education Officer at Right to Remain, where she works on resources about the UK asylum and immigration system, including the Right to Remain Toolkit. She delivers legal workshops and collaborates with asylum and migrant groups across the country.
She was called to the Bar of England & Wales in 2020 and obtained a Public Interest LLM fellowship from the University of Pennsylvania Law School.
Outside of work, Yumna (really) loves to eat, create, and talk about food. If she weren’t in the legal field, she’d be a chef.
Stephanie Hader
Co-founder and Executive Director (Hong Kong)
Stephanie Hader is the Director of Legal Education at Earth Refuge. Alongside Co-founder Yumna Kamel, she runs innovative legal and field research programmes with law faculty students across Asia and North America. These interactive sessions serve a dual purpose; they function as a literal “think” tank which furthers Earth Refuge’s mission to brainstorm creative legal arguments, while at the same time inspiring the next generation of lawyers to think of the law as a tool for positive change.
Stephanie Hader is a Penn LLM Graduate with experience in drafting government reports for both the Australian and German Parliament. She also holds a Juris Doctor from the University of Hong Kong. Outside of Earth Refuge, she is a strategic researcher for the Institute of the North where she critically explores different theories and laws governing natural resource management.
When she is not researching, Stephanie is a Sofar Sounds Ambassador and reads Jorge Louis Borges, as he continues to rewire her perception of the world.
Nikoleta Vasileva
Managing Director (U.K.)
Nikoleta sees over all teams as part of the strategic & organisational leadership at Earth Refuge. She sets long-term priorities and monitors their execution, while also assisting project management across departments. Having a strong international law background, Nikoleta firmly believes in the power of contemporary legal solutions and is excited about Earth Refuge’s tangible impact.
Apart from Earth Refuge, Nikoleta works in the legal team of a global climate leadership network. She cares about making law & policy digestible and pursued this as lecturer for the European Commission and president of a diplomacy NGO. Currently, she is leading the International Institute of Space Law’s latest initiative, the Knowledge Constellation, making space law accessible for all.
Nikoleta holds an MA in Human Rights from UCL, where she was recognised in the Dean’s List for Academic Excellence. She is passionate about gender equality and appreciates great films, lyrics, fashion, and chocolate.
Lauren Grant
Director of Field Research & ISCM (U.K.)
Lauren Grant holds an MA in Human Rights from the Legal Studies Department of Central European University and an International Human Rights Defender Certificate from the Foundations of Human Rights Protection in Constitutional and International Law postgraduate specialisation programme. She is a graduate of the Zoryan Institute’s Genocide and Human Rights University Program, and is currently pursuing an MSc in Violence, Conflict and Development at SOAS University of London.
At Earth Refuge and beyond, Lauren’s research and advocacy spans the fields of climate-induced displacement, women’s, Indigenous and minority rights, violence, conflict, genocide and development. In 2022, she founded the world’s first International School on Climate Migration, a five-week long summer school co-hosted by Earth Refuge and the SOAS Department of Development Studies.
In her free time, Lauren enjoys reading, diving into deep and explorative discussion over a cup of coffee, and soaking up the sunshine with her adored wife.
Adrian Yeung
Director of Engagement (Australia)
Adrian Yeung is a public policy professional based in Melbourne, Australia, and a University of Melbourne graduate with specialisations in political science, international business and media & communications. He hopes to bring his professional experience in government, marketing, and consulting to help Earth Refuge generate awareness and build a movement around the critical issue of climate migration.
Outside of work, Adrian is the producer of The Story Symphony, a collaborative audio drama podcast with each chapter of the story written by an entirely different person – meaning that neither the audience nor the writers know what’s going to happen next. He also dabbles in music production, freelance writing, career mentoring and even had a brief stint acting on community television.
Daven Camille
Director of Business Systems and Intelligence (Australia)
Daven Camille is a Business Systems specialist based in Australia, with expertise in data visualisation, corporate finance and process automation.
Drawing from his role within the sustainable infrastructure sector and service with the Australian Defence Force, Daven hopes to utilise his passion for delivering actionable information and implementing innovative solutions through his proven experience in data analytics, as well as risk and operational management strategies.
Daven’s love for adventures sees him chase every opportunity to meet new people, go new places, and try new things, and when he’s not behind the desk you can find him on his latest escapade.
Robert Los
Director of Research (Germany)
Robert Los is a law student originally from Hamburg between the state exams with a completed specialization in corporate and capital markets law. He is working as Research Assistant at a law firm and has dealt with the topics of migration and climate mainly in the context of voluntary work.
As part of a Hamburg subgroup of Lawyers Without Borders, he has been involved in a study on the legal protection of unaccompanied minor refugees, and with fellow students he is involved in setting up a Climate Clinic as well as an interpreter and adviser in social law and deportation cases at the local law clinic.
At Earth Refuge he is responsible for coordinating and driving research projects and the resulting development of legal media products such as the database and toolkits.
Robert is also passionate about politics, economics, music and a little too much about all kinds of sports.
Ole Ter Wey
Lead Correspondent (Germany)
Ole ter Wey is the Faces Coordinator of Earth Refuge. ‘Faces’ is meant to provide a platform for people directly affected by climate change, to reach a broader public with the important issue of climate migration and to also inform the legal work of Earth Refuge. Ole is the contact point for people interested to share their experiences of climate change as well as for everyone interested in joining the correspondent team.
Ole recently graduated in International Law and Human Rights from the UN-mandated University for Peace in San José, Costa Rica. He previously lived with a local community in Kiribati for over a year. There, he experienced first-hand the consequences of climate change endangering the existence of an entire state.
When not studying or working, Ole is a passionate musician and crazy about football.
Antonia Panayotova
Digital Technology Manager (Bulgaria/U.K.)
Antonia Panayotova looks after our digital platforms, ensuring our website and legal database work well and stay secure. She is passionate about technology, data, innovation, and accessible services. In her day-to-day she works in the UK government testing ideas for how data can be used more effectively, ethically, and securely to create a better user experience for all.
Antonia is fascinated by ideas for how to use data and innovative technologies to create solutions for the most pressing climate problems too as sustainability is a personal passion.
In the time that’s left, she likes to keep busy with various outdoor adventure sports, travel, growing plants, and a bit of first aid volunteering.
Tasmin Grant
Lead Editor (U.K.)
Tasmin Grant is an editor for Earth Refuge and manages the Archive: a collection of submissions which encapsulate the realities of climate migration.
She is also the Managing Editor for one of the largest global digital coffee publications, alongside studying at the London School of Journalism.
Tasmin has been working in the coffee industry for over 6 years, so while the world of climate justice is still relatively new to her, she hopes to utilise her editing skills to assist Earth Refuge with its mission of advocating for the rights of climate migrants.
When she’s not working, Tasmin enjoys discovering new music, cooking delicious vegan food, exploring London, and spending time with her beloved wife.
Caitlin Burrows
ISCM Programme Manager (U.K.)
Caitlin was part of the founding team that established Earth Refuge’s educational initiative, the International School on Climate Migration. Since 2022, she has been the ISCM’s Programme Manager where she works to deliver an enriching, interdisciplinary, short-course that equips scholars with the tools needed to critically analyse the complexities of climate-induced displacement.
She holds an MSc in Environment, Politics and Development from SOAS, University of London and is a specialist in the political ecology of the climate change, migration and conflict nexus. She has previously worked in campaigns, including with Concordis International where she supported their work to find durable solutions that address the root causes of conflict in the Sudano-Sahel.
Caitlin is a born and bred Londoner but likes to get out of the city when she can to enjoy camping, hiking and bird watching.
David Cremins
Legal Database Manager (U.S.)
David Cremins is a law student and researcher who focuses on cross-border migration and labor issues, especially in the context of climate change. Before joining the Stanford Law School, he worked as a software engineer and interned and volunteered with immigration law non-profits. While in law school, David has interned with Centro de los Derechos del Migrante, the California Attorney General, and Resilience Force; worked in Stanford’s Community Law Clinic; served as the Lead Notes Editor for the Stanford Law & Policy Review; and co-led several on-campus groups and initiatives, including Stanford Immigration & Human Rights Law Association and Stanford Law Students for Climate Action.
As the Legal Database Manager for Earth Refuge, he writes, edits, and publishes case summaries from jurisdictions around the world confronting climate migration.
David graduated from Pomona College in 2018 with a Bachelor of Arts in Cognitive Science. He is from Houston, Texas and enjoys making music with friends, exploring the outdoors, and reading as much as law school allows.
Advisory Board
Dave Inder Comar, Esq.
Founding Advisor (U.S.)
Dave Inder Comar is the managing partner of Comar Mollé LLP, a technology law firm with offices in San Francisco and New York, and Executive Director of Just Atonement Inc., a non-profit law firm dedicated to defending democracy, human rights, and a livable planet.
Licensed to practice law before the California and New York bars, Mr. Comar is passionate about using the law to maintain and preserve global civilisation. He believes that the response to climate change must alleviate enduring inequalities and lay the foundation for a world where people live in balance with themselves, each other, and the planet.
Dr. Rafiqul Islam
Regional Advisor (Bangladesh)
Md Rafiqul Islam Ph.D. is a Professor at the Department of Peace and Conflict Studies at the University of Dhaka in Bangladesh. Aside from his Bachelor and MPhil, which he completed at the same university, he also holds a MA degree in Environmental Security and Peace from the Un-University for Peace in Costa Rica and a Ph.D. from Flinders University, Australia. His thesis secured the John Lewis Silver Medal in South Australia. Dr. Islam’s primary research interests are peace and conflict studies, displacement and development. He also has a keen interest in global politics and security.
Dr. Islam is currently working as an Advisor of the Dhaka University Environmental Society (DUES) and volunteers for the greater cause of our earth, and humanity.
Dr. Chris O’Connell
Regional Advisor (Ireland)
Dr Chris O’Connell is a CAROLINE Research Fellow at the School of Law and Government at Dublin City University. His research interests centre on alterative and sustainable models of development and their political realisation.
Chris holds a PhD in Political Science from Dublin City University. His thesis analysed the influence of civil society on the environmental and development policies of leftist presidents in Latin America. His current research is co-funded by the European Commission and the Irish Research Council, and was developed in collaboration with Anti-Slavery International. The project focuses on the relationship between and responses to climate change, environmental degradation and contemporary forms of slavery in Peru and Bolivia.
Chris is committed to engaged research and impact, and has a long history of solidarity action, in particular with communities and movements in Latin America.
Ayodele Gansallo, Esq.
Immigration Law Advisor (U.S.)
Ayodele Gansallo qualified as a Solicitor in England and Wales and is also admitted as an attorney with the New York State Bar. She has been working on Immigration and Nationality issues exclusively with non-profit organizations both here and in the U.K. for nearly thirty years. She is currently the Co-Director of Legal Services with HIAS PA and Vice-Chair to the Philadelphia Chapter of AILA.
Ms. Gansallo is an Adjunct Professor at the University of Pennsylvania’s Transnational Legal Clinic and is co-author of the textbook Understanding Immigration Law and Practice.
Ms. Gansallo is also a member of the Mayor’s Commission on African and Caribbean Immigrant Affairs and a recipient of the AILA Philadelphia Chapter Matthew Baxter Mentorship Award, co-recipient of the AILA Philadelphia Chapter 2017 Pro Bono Champion Award, a recipient of SEAMAAC’s Unsung Heroine Award 2017, the Philadelphia Bar Foundation Award 2017, a recipient of the 2018 Global Woman Legal Award from the Global Woman P.E.A.C.E. Foundation and the 2018 Pennsylvania Bar Association’s Immigration Law Pro Bono Award.
Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein
International Policy Advisor (U.S.)
Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein was the United Nations High Commissioner of Human Rights from 2014-2018; and in 2002, he was elected the first president of the governing body of the International Criminal Court (ICC) — guiding the court’s growth in its first three years (9/2002-9/2005).
He twice served as Jordan’s ambassador to the United Nations in New York City and once as Jordan’s ambassador to the United States (2007-2010). He is currently the CEO of the International Peace Institute and the Perry World House Professor of the Practice of Law and Human Rights at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia.
In 2019, he was appointed a member of The Elders, an independent group of global leaders working for peace, justice and human rights, founded by Nelson Mandela.
Tasneem Siddiqui
Regional Advisor (Bangladesh)
Tasneem Siddiqui is Professor of Political Science, University of Dhaka and Founding Chair of Refugee and Migratory Movements Research Unit (RMMRU).
She has extensively published on forced and voluntary migration and climate change-related migration. She led the drafting of the National Strategy for Internal Displacement in Bangladesh 2021, the Overseas Employment Policy 2006 and was a committee member that prepared the draft of the Overseas Employment and Migrants Act of 2013.
She is in the Global Editorial Board of Oxford Journal of Migration Studies and a member of the Advisory Committee of the Platform on Disaster Displacement (PDD)
Daniel Briggs
Advisor (Spain)
Daniel Briggs is a researcher, writer and inter-disciplinary academic who studies social problems. Over the last 20 years, he has undertaken a significant amount of mixed-methods and ethnographic research into various social issues. He has also been lecturing undergraduates and postgraduates across Criminology, Law, Sociology and Social Policy for the last twelve years.
In this time, he has published over 100 books, chapters, and articles and presented at over 50 conferences worldwide. His penultimate book, which was based on two year photo-ethnographic project, titled Drugs, Crime and Life in the City Shadows (2017, Policy Press) won the Distinguished Book Award from the International Division of Criminology at the American Society of Criminology.
Daniel has recently concluded Climate Changed: Refugee Border Stories and the Business of Misery (2020, Routledge) and Researching the Covid 19 Pandemic: A Critical Blueprint for the Social Sciences (Bristol University Press, 2021).
Matthew Scott
Advisor (Sweden)
Matthew Scott is head of the Human Rights and the Environment thematic area at the Raoul Wallenberg Institute of Human Rights and Humanitarian Law in Lund, Sweden.
His work focuses on integrating social science perspectives with international legal standards to promote context-sensitive, human rights-based law, policy and practice relating to disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation. His primary area of expertise concerns migration and displacement in the context of disasters and climate change, on which he has published a monograph entitled Climate Change, Disasters and the Refugee Convention (CUP 2020) and an edited volume entitled Climate Change, Disasters and Internal Displacement in Asia and the Pacific: A Human Rights-Based Approach (Routledge 2021).
He is a member of the advisory committee of the Platform on Disaster Displacement, a member of the editorial board of the Yearbook of International Disaster Law, and a founding member of the Nordic Network on Climate Related Displacement and Mobility.
Correspondents
Aubrey Calaway
Podcast Producer (U.S.)
Aubrey Calaway is a writer and social science researcher from Houston, Texas. In the past, she has worked on issues of civil liberties, human trafficking, and disaster resilience in both academic and non-profit spaces.
Catalyzed by her own experiences with hurricanes in the Gulf Coast, she aims to combine thoughtful research with human narratives to better tell the stories of climate-related uncertainty around the world.
When she’s not at her desk, Aubrey can be found living and traveling around the U.S. in a self-converted van.
Aubrey is also the writer and host of Riskland: An Earth Refuge Original.
Samantha Moura Novais de Quadros
Correspondent (Canada)
Samantha Moura Novais de Quadros is a Brazilian student at the University of Toronto in Canada. Originally from Salvador, Bahia, Samantha moved to Vancouver in 2017 and now resides in Toronto to pursue an undergraduate degree in Peace, Conflict & Justice and Philosophy.
Samantha aspires to become a human rights lawyer in the future, and her areas of interest include women’s rights, refugee law, environmental justice, humans rights and justice after war crimes. She is also passionate about cats, nature, reading and writing.
Currently, Samantha works as a Lead Analyst for the G20 and G7 Research Groups. There, she investigates members’ compliance in regards to their summit commitments, focusing mainly on Gender and International Cooperation to overcome COVID-19.”
Jayla Lundstrom
Correspondent (U.S.)
Jayla Lundstrom is currently an AmeriCorps VISTA Volunteer with the Center for Environmentally Threatened Communities at the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium. Previously, she interned at the Center for American Progress where she completed research on climate-induced displacement. Her background and interests span water policy and conservation, refugee law, and rural economic development.
Jayla is passionate about advocating for the human right to migration and ensuring protections for those on the frontlines of the climate crisis. She hopes to continue to learn from and share stories of the Indigenous communities that are building climate-resilient futures.
Outside of work, Jayla loves backcountry skiing, backpacking, and fermenting foods.
Polly Nash
Correspondent (U.K.)
Polly Nash is a print journalist, recently completing her master’s degree in International Journalism at City, University of London. Specialising in humanitarian reporting, she is extremely interested in human rights and is motivated to give a platform to marginalised voices.
Through writing and reporting, she hopes to highlight the urgency of the climate crisis by exposing its human consequences and cultivating compassion for others around the globe. Polly completed her undergraduate degree in Edinburgh and studied abroad in Santa Barbara, California. Her love of travel has further convinced her of the vital need for a unified global response to tackle climate change and climate migration.
In her spare time, you might find Polly playing netball or tennis, or cooking up a feast with her wonderful flatmates in London.
Current Affairs Reporters
Ella Kiyomi Dobson
Current Affairs Reporter (U.S.)
Ella Kiyomi Dobson recently graduated from Dartmouth College with a major in Environmental Studies and minor in Studio art.
Currently, they are an intern at Mote Marine Laboratory doing manatee research, looking into population dynamics, conservation goals, and how those impact the communities that exist within the Gulf region.
They are particularly interested in the intersection of environmental and social issues pertaining to ecological and fisheries conservation.
With experience working in the field of marine research, they are curious as to how to mitigate the consequential social injustices that stem from biological conservation and related policies.
Cosmo Sanderson
Current Affairs Lead (U.K.)
Cosmo Sanderson grew up in Brighton in the United Kingdom. He studied at the University of Sussex, completing a BA in English Language and Linguistics and an MA in Multimedia Journalism.
After a brief spell living in Canada, Cosmo moved to London to join legal publication Global Arbitration Review. There, as an assistant news editor and senior writer, he reports on international legal disputes and other aspects of international law, including environmental issues.
As someone who is passionate about protecting the environment and highlighting important developments in this area, Cosmo was delighted to be able to become part of the EarthRefuge team.
In his free time, Cosmo enjoys running, reading and films. He is a long-suffering fan of Tottenham Hotspur FC.
Willy Philipps
Current Affairs Reporter (U.S.)
Willy is a correspondent for Earth Refuge, contributing regularly to the Current Affairs section.
Willy Phillips graduated with a degree in Environmental Studies from Dartmouth College in 2020. Throughout his studies, Willy found a passion in the tension between humans and water resources. From flooding to drought, Willy sees water usage to be a critical course of study as climate change exacerbates resource access.
Currently, Willy is living in London and working part time while awaiting decisions from various masters’ programs.
Next year, Willy hopes to pursue a master’s degree in environmental science and hydrology in London. Through his study, he hopes to gain practical skills which give him a path to change perceptions of wastewater and ultimately reduce fresh water demands of municipalities.
Outside of work, Willy can be found swimming with his dog, Scooby, practicing saxophone, and learning new crafts like embroidery.
Graphic Design and Social Media Team
Lise Rigaux
Founding Art Director (France)
Lise Rigaux is a Parisian graphic designer and art director at Factory, a creative real estate and branding agency in France. Her artistic expertise in original design were essential in building the overall Earth Refuge brand from the bottom up. We also have Lise to thank for our unique Earth Refuge logo.
As a trekker, she has witnessed the impact of human activity on nature and understands the importance and urgency of environmental preservation.
In creating a brand that represents both the urgency and the solution, Lise hopes to play her role in bringing international awareness on climate change and migration.
Ben Chappelow
SEO (United States)
Benjamin Chappelow is a writer and narrative designer in the Appalachian mountains, United States.
As an immigration researcher and former Narrative Writer for the Climate Resilience Toolkit, he is focused on how the stories we tell dictate our behavior in an ecological crisis.
When he is not writing, Benjamin is trying to teach his cat how to type so he won’t have to.
