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Growing up by the Chesapeake Bay influenced Briana Sumpter’s (MEM ’25) interest in pursuing an environmentally focused career. With a BA in Anthropology and experience working at a consulting firm, Sumpter decided to pursue a more fulfilling path. She appreciates that Duke has an interdisciplinary focus where she can blend both hard science and social science in her studies. She is studying economics, policy, and coastal and marine systems at the Nicholas School of the Environment (NSOE), and has a strong interest in environmental justice concerns and coastal and marine pollution policies.

In addition to her studies and work with ELPC over the summer, Sumpter is a board member of the Ocean Policy Working Group at Duke and helped organize recent symposiums connected to ocean governance. Her Master’s Project will focus on sea level rise and incentives for communities to retreat and relocate in Norfolk Virginia, a topic she initially explored in a paper for Professor Steve Roady’s Ocean Law and Policy class.

Outside of class and interning, Sumpter enjoys horseback riding, musical theater, true crime, and spending time with her cat. She is also a writer and publication coordinator for the Ocean Policy Working Group and hopes to become a published author.

Sumpter shares her experience working with the ELPC team below.

Can you please talk about your path to Duke and NSOE?

My path to NSOE is not a straightforward one. I suppose it started one evening on my couch after an excruciatingly long workday. I was already discontent with my job and chomping at the bit for a change. I spent several hours earlier that week researching wildly different ideas, including running the singular coffee shop on a remote island off the coast of Ireland. I was watching an environmental documentary and became incensed at the way humans are ruining the planet, and how we were reaching a critical point if we wanted to attempt to fix what we destroyed. That was my light bulb moment, my Newton with the apple situation if you will. Why couldn’t addressing these issues that I am clearly passionate about be my job? Burgeoned with newfound hope and determination, I began researching how I could enter this new field that opened to me…and quickly realized that I would need a master’s degree to do what I wanted.

I looked up the top environmental policy schools and choosing Duke and the Nicholas School of the Environment was easy. I wanted an interdisciplinary program that would give me the holistic skills necessary for a successful policymaker, and there were plenty of faculty who had similar research interests to my own. I knew that the opportunity for small class sizes would greatly benefit my learning, and I was excited that the faculty seemed really involved with their students. All of these factors led me to choose Duke and I can honestly say that I made the right decision.

Why did you decide to apply to the Environmental Law and Policy Clinic, and have you found the experience valuable for your career goals?

In theory, I knew I wanted to do policy work, but I had zero practical experience to back that up, so I wanted a summer internship focused on policy that would provide some hands-on experience. Last year I took Ocean and Coastal Law and Policy with Steve Roady and absolutely loved it. That class was followed by Environmental Law the next semester with Michelle Nowlin and Steve Roady, which I also greatly enjoyed. Those classes illuminated how closely tied law and policy are. I also heard great things from students who participated in the Clinic during the semester. I believed ELPC would provide a view on the type of work I might do if I go into policy, what policy decisions look like, and how nongovernmental organizations can play a hand in shaping policy decisions. The Clinic has met those expectations and more. It gave me the peak behind the curtain I needed to truly understand policy work and decide if that’s the right path for me.

How did your previous work experience prepare you for your internship with ELPC?

My previous job was heavily focused on the client experience. I had to translate client needs into actionable research projects and obtain the resources to answer my clients’ research questions, often with short turnaround times (sometimes 24 hours), while also managing client expectations.  It was a high-stress, sometimes high-stakes job. I had to excel at time management and organization if I wanted to be successful. I often juggled up to ten different projects for different clients. The throughline for all my work was building and maintaining positive client relationships. Those experiences helped prepare me for work at ELPC.

What was it like connecting with the clients you’re working with, and how did you feel about your work overall?

The clients I worked with were lovely. It was wonderful hearing about their work, their passion for it, and how ELPC could help further their goals. It was nice brainstorming with them on ways to move forward with the work they wanted to do. They were directional but also gave me and ELPC room to come up with ideas. The work was engaging and varied. I learned so much about topics not directly in my wheelhouse and I feel all the better for it. 

Can you share your thoughts on the importance of science communication and the possible impact on environmental policy?

Good policy should be multi-faceted and interdisciplinary. It must account for many things at once, science, economics, socio-political contexts, etc. There sometimes is a disconnect between scientists and policymakers; they don’t always speak the same language. The collaboration between these two stakeholders is integral for effective environmental policy. I am also a strong proponent that academia and scientific research are not the most accessible to those outside these institutions. Science must be communicated to policymakers in a language they can understand, so it is effectively incorporated into the decisions they make. This is where science communication comes in. People who can bridge the gap between science and policy are integral in this space so that policy is created with a base steeped in scientifically rigorous research.

You mentioned that Co-Director Michelle Nowlin and Staff Scientist Dr. Nancy Lauer have been big supporters during your internship, and that students can get out of their experience with ELPC what they put into it. Can you expand on this?

It can be easy to put your head down and focus only on the work in front of you. At ELPC some of the work you do can be individual. While the ELPC experience is about the work, that’s not all it’s about. Michelle Nowlin, Ryke Longest, Nancy Lauer, and Michael Mocciaro offer a wealth of knowledge, experience, and connections. Utilize them as a resource. Attend meetings and conferences that interest you. Ask lots of questions and be open with your case team. You get what you put into this experience. My advice – think about what you want out of your time at ELPC and communicate that with your supervisors. They all want to support that in the ways they can.

What advice would you share with students who are considering applying to ELPC?

ELPC is a great place to work, and you can tailor your experience depending on what you want to get out of it. Communicate well and often to your supervisors and case team about your work, your bandwidth, any issues or challenges that arise while doing the work, and opportunities that interest you. Get to know your clients – they are really interesting people and are a wealth of knowledge on the topic you are working on. Ask a lot of questions if you don’t know something or you want to know something, even if it’s not directly related to your case. Use the Clinic staff as a resource while you’re there. Most importantly, have fun!

What are your plans after graduation?

I’m still figuring this out. I imagine myself working on environmental policy at a federal or state agency or a research institute/think tank. At this point, I’m open to whatever comes my way. I hope to be back in Washington DC, but beyond that, I’m taking it one step at a time and keeping an eye out for cool opportunities.