New Staff Q&A: Abby Burke
OEC is thrilled to introduce our 2025 Environmental Health intern, Abby Burke!
Abby is a soon-to-be Senior at Lewis & Clark College, where she’s majoring in International Affairs with a minor in Data Science. She’s also a member of the Pamplin Society of Fellows—the highest academic award at the college. Growing up in Alaska, she spent her early years exploring the state’s spectacular outdoors—from camping trips to competitive rock climbing.
Abby’s thought-partnership and policy expertise has already been an invaluable addition to the team at OEC. We can’t wait to see what her future holds during the internship and beyond!
To learn more about Abby—from her favorite places to climb to her hopes for the future—read on:
What inspired you to pursue a career in public policy?
During my first semester of Junior year, I took a really influential class called The Social Life of Policy, based around the book Policy Worlds. We looked at how policies have cultural, political, and socioeconomic dimensions—how they proliferate into people’s daily lives, and how the people making policies don’t necessarily reflect how they permeate society. Then during my second semester that same year, I took an international political economy class. Those classes tied together really set the stage for my interest in research and policy.
What drew you to this internship at OEC?
I appreciated the mix of responsibilities: research, coalition building, and database management. They’re all different facets of policy, and I wanted that well-rounded experience. I also liked how the different OEC programs are shaping their own paths, but working in the same sphere toward shared goals. I thought those perspectives would be an interesting way to inform how I look at policy.
Did you spend a lot of time outdoors growing up in Alaska?
Definitely. When I was a kid we had a camper and a drift boat. Every weekend my parents would pack us up and we’d go camping. Your social life kind of becomes what you’re doing outside. That’s followed me here, but in college it’s been good to make friends who don’t define themselves solely in that way.
What are your interests when you’re not working or studying?
I’m a big rock climber—I’ve been climbing since I was seven, and started taking it seriously at ten. I love being outside, hiking, and trail running. After freshman year I started knitting, which I also love.
What have been some of your favorite places to climb in Oregon and Alaska?
Smith Rock is kind of the mecca. I came here as a kid when I was climbing competitively, so it’s always held a special place for me. The history there is incredible. In Alaska, Hatcher Pass is really special to me—it’s a beautiful climbing area that a lot of people love, which makes it feel even more special.
What are some of your proudest achievements throughout your career, academic or otherwise?
I’ve worked a lot of different jobs. My first was as a rock climbing coach. I was also a canvasser for the Stop Pebble Mine campaign, worked at a museum with refugee and immigrant communities, and was a host at a fine dining restaurant. I’m proud of experiencing so many different environments and finding my path through them. They’ve all been people-centered jobs, which informs what I want to do with my career.
At Lewis & Clark, I’m part of the Pamplin Society of Fellows, the highest academic award at the college. They prioritize academic rigor, community leadership, wellness, and integrity. I like that well-rounded approach to achievement, and I try to carry that with me in my career so far.
What are some big changes you hope to see in your lifetime that you feel you can play a part in through policy work, in Oregon or beyond?
At the largest scale, I’m interested in how the international system is being reshaped in a Trump-era administration. There’s a conversation about the erosion of the post-World War II international order and reshaping of relations . I don’t have the answer to that, but I’m curious to see how it plays out.
At the same time, this administration has made it necessary to focus on state and local levels, where just one bill can make a really impactful change. That gives me a lot of hope—seeing people at OEC fighting to make state-level change that can also influence the national level. Oregon has the potential to be a regional leader alongside Washington and California, and it’s exciting to see that platform being built.
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