CW3E Welcomes Kyla Van Maanen

June 13, 2025

Kyla Van Maanen joined CW3E in June 2025 as a Research Project Coordinator. In her new role she will support teams across the Center by coordinating meetings, planning events, and managing timelines. Kyla holds B.A. degrees in Environmental Studies and Studio Art from Pitzer College, and an M.S. in Marine Biology from Northeastern University. Her Master’s thesis work assessed how UNFCCC-funded adaptation projects in developing countries have contributed to coastal resilience to climate change.

Professionally, Kyla has worked in art, environmental science, and at the intersection of the two. She spent her early career working in the Los Angeles art world as a collections manager, archivist, and executive assistant before pursuing graduate studies in marine science. After her degree she stayed at Northeastern to manage international research partnerships at the Global Resilience Institute. She then worked as a senior project manager on an NSF-funded ocean data governance research, and later developed collaborative and educational events for environmental grantmakers at the Biodiversity Funders Group. Most recently, Kyla directed international public art programs for the nonprofit PangeaSeed, facilitating collaborations between artists and scientists to create accessible visual art that translates conservation imperatives to increase ocean literacy.

Outside of the (home) office, Kyla loves spending time outdoors exploring the pockets of nature that persist in and around LA. She’s currently completing the UC California Naturalist certification to learn more about environmental interpretation, science communication, and identification of native flora and fauna. She also practices 35 mm film photography, enjoys trail riding in the foothills, and never misses a chance to dive in the kelp forests around the Channel Islands.

Kyla is excited to join CW3E’s collaborative and mission-driven team, and looks forward to contributing her skills in interdisciplinary project management, creative communication, and cross-sector partnership building to support impactful, applied climate and water research.