Pallavi Phartiyal is vice president of programs, policy & advocacy at the Union of Concerned Scientists. In her role, she works to ensure UCS positions and solutions are informed by robust, independent, and equity-informed scientific analysis. In collaboration with program directors and staff, she helps UCS develop effective advocacy campaigns.
Prior to rejoining UCS, Dr. Phartiyal served as the deputy executive director at Rainforest Action Network (RAN). She oversaw the overall management of the organization, including its multiple climate campaigns and community-building initiatives, and guided RAN’s racial equity and justice commitment in its operations, programs, and campaigns.
From 2011 to 2016, Dr. Phartiyal helped launch the Center for Science and Democracy at UCS, where she advocated for science-based policymaking. Prior to that, she was the project director and senior program associate at the Research Competitiveness Program of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) where she worked with research and policy professionals to provide review and guidance for academic institutions and federal agencies.
Dr. Phartiyal is the Board chair of American Rivers, serves on the board of Oil Change International, and on the steering committee of Green Leadership Trust. She's on the advisory council for the Bay Area Air Quality Management District and is a senior fellow with the Environmental Leadership Program (ELP).