ERIC A. WADE

Dr. Eric A. Wade is an environmental social scientist and Assistant Professor in the Department of Marine, Earth, and Atmospheric Sciences at North Carolina State University. His work is deeply influenced by his Caribbean upbringing and focuses on addressing vulnerabilities in natural resource management, particularly for underrepresented groups.

• B.Sc. in Marine Biology, University of North Carolina at Wilmington
• M.Sc. in Fisheries Science, Oregon State University

Eric's research integrates social science perspectives to amplify marginalized voices in academia and natural resource governance. He explores decision-making dynamics among fishers in coastal and marine spaces and advocates for equitable climate change mitigation strategies. His outreach efforts include mentoring minority youth in marine science literacy and studying cross-cultural medicinal plant use.

Current members of the Wade Research Group include Ph.D. student Zack Shepard (investigating fisher decision-making) and Master’s student Timberlyn Duncan (focusing on equitable climate solutions for coastal communities). Former team members include undergraduate research assistant Colbie Bond (2023–2025), research associate Rachel Bratton (2023–2024), and Carden Barkley (2022–2023).