The Early Years Climate Action Task Force is exploring the impact of climate change on our youngest children and their families. Ankita Chachra and Dr. Claudia Benitez-Nelson, a member of the Early Years Climate Action Task Force, delved into the biogeochemical cycling of nutrients and carbon influenced by climate change, their shared passion for creating a sustainable future, and how the Task Force has led Dr. Benitez-Nelson to reconsider how she communicates her work to a broader audience.

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Ankita Chachra is a Senior Fellow at Capita committed to creating sustainable, just, and vibrant cities for young children and families. She has over ten years of global experience working on her mission through partnerships with city agencies, and the private, non-profit, and philanthropic sectors. 

Dr. Claudia Benitez-Nelson is the Senior Associate Dean for College Initiatives and Interdisciplinary Programs and a Carolina Distinguished Professor & Endowed Chair in Marine Studies in the College of Arts & Sciences at the University of South Carolina. As a Senior Associate Dean, Dr. Benitez-Nelson has direct oversight of a number of interdisciplinary units and institutes as well as college initiatives that encompass faculty scholarship grants, fellowships, and mentorship programs. Her research focuses on the biogeochemical cycling of phosphorus and carbon and how these elements are influenced by both natural and anthropogenic processes.