Ask the Experts: Dr. Diane Pataki & Andrea Auguiste
Dr. Diane Pataki
Chief Scientist
Andrea Auguiste
Sr. Director of Philanthropy & Social Innovation
Recorded October 8, 2025.
Chief Scientist Dr. Diane Pataki and Senior Director of Philanthropy Andrea Auguiste sat down to explore top questions about science, society, and the state of our nation’s wildlife. We hope you enjoy this insightful conversation at the intersection of science, research, and real-world impact.
ABOUT DIANE
Dr. Diane Pataki joined the Federation in 2024 as our Chief Scientist. Diane oversees the National Wildlife Federation’s national conservation science team, provides scientific leadership and coordination across the organization, and helps ensure the organization stays abreast of new scientific findings. Pataki brings over three decades of scientific experience to the role, having led programs at several universities that have produced over 150 publications. She currently serves as a sustainability professor at Arizona State University and will remain a faculty member. She also founded the Southwest Sustainability Innovation Engine, a public-private collaboration focused on climate resilience in Arizona, Utah, and Nevada. Among her many accolades, Pataki is a Fulbright Global Scholar, an elected fellow of three scientific societies, and has served on federal advisory committees for the Environmental Protection Agency and the National Science Foundation. She holds an M.S. and a Ph.D. in ecology from Duke University.
ABOUT ANDREA
Andrea Dancy Auguiste is the Senior Director of Philanthropy & Social Innovation in the Rocky Mountain Regional Center, where she works to connect individuals and institutions to the diverse ways the Federation approaches conservation success in the West. Andrea sees her passion for philanthropy and its power to affect change tied to her upbringing in Memphis, Tennessee, and as a product of the Civil Rights Movement. It was instilled in her at the earliest age to heed the importance of making a difference, of making connections, of the urgency and power of communicating and finding common ground — especially with those who may be different from you. It is the fundamental reason why she chose fundraising as the ultimate way to live out that passion and to help affect social change.
Andrea attended Howard University and graduated from University of Memphis with a B.A. in Journalism and a minor in Business. She has been a member of historic Black organizations including The Links, Inc.; The Girl Friends, Inc.; and Jack and Jill of America. She resides in Lafayette, Colorado, and enjoys the mountains as often as she can.
WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU
Are you interested in learning more about All Access or the work of the National Wildlife Federation? We would love to hear your feedback or questions. Please reach out to our team at AllAccess@nwf.org.
