Colleen Goggin

Colleen Goggin is NCEL’s Nature and Health Fellow, dedicated to raising awareness about the connections between health and environmental policy—a passion that began in childhood as a Girl Scout, participating in local environmental projects in her hometown. That early interest deepened during a study abroad in Germany, where conversations with her host mother sparked a lasting curiosity about environmental policy.


Colleen earned her B.A. in International Studies and Political Science, followed by a Master’s in International Affairs from Texas A&M University, where she focused on international development and economic policy. Her experience includes internships with the U.S. House of Representatives and the Bureau of International Labor Affairs, as well as research with the Lab for Economic Development Research and on environmental economics projects led by her professor. During graduate school, she also contributed to ecology-focused initiatives, including a human-wildlife coexistence project with farmers in Botswana and marine conservation efforts in Costa Rica.

A born-and-raised Texan, Colleen spends her free time reading outside, walking through local parks with a podcast in her ears, baking with her sourdough starter, crafting, and training for her next 10k.