Christopher Oates is an upcoming Master’s student at North Carolina State University in the Biological and Agricultural Engineering Department. He will receive his undergraduate degrees in Biological and Agricultural Engineering Technology and Environmental Sciences from North Carolina State University. Christopher is working with Dr. Natalie Nelson and Dr. Khara Grieger on Research Theme 3. His STEPS research is centered around tracking phosphorus’s environmental and social effects on watersheds as it moves downstream. During his undergraduate studies, Christopher worked with the NC State University Sustainability Office to revamp the Office’s mapping efforts on campus. He worked as an undergraduate research assistant for the North Carolina State Climate Office. The project centered around exploring the reluctance of some sectors of the natural resource management industry to incorporate climate data and science into decision-making processes. He also spent two summers interning at the North Carolina Department of Transportation working with the Roadside Environmental Unit. Christopher is also a 2023 STEPS Center Director’s Fellowship Award recipient.