During a ceremony honoring 182 Nicholas School professional student graduates at 51’s Wilson Recreation Center on May 9, Andrew Dominguez, Chris Hachtman and Kirsten “Kat” Taylor each received the Virlis L. Fischer Award for Academic Achievement.

The award honors students graduating with a Master of Environmental Management (MEM) or a Master of Forestry (MF) who have demonstrated academic excellence in their coursework, as well as leadership, strength of character and a collaborative spirit.

Andrew Dominguez

MEM, with concentrations in Environmental Economics and Policy and Coastal and Marine Systems

Advisor: John Virdin

After spending a decade working in Hollywood, first in a mail room and later in corporate finance, Dominguez felt the pull of grad school. “My heart and mind were captured by the need to protect our environment and to do my utmost to help vulnerable people,” Dominguez said. He enrolled in the MEM program, with plans to support economic development and environmental resilience and adaptation in the Philippines, where he spent much of his youth.

For their , Dominguez and team developed recommendations for Rare, an international conservation and development nonprofit, for improving how the organization assesses gender-related indicators of climate change vulnerability in small-scale fisheries.

In 2023, Dominguez contributed to the , an analysis published by the Nicholas Institute for Energy, Environment & Sustainability that assesses global trends in governmental responses to plastic pollution. He also founded , a scuba diving club dedicated to helping protect coastal ecosystems.

“Described as ‘trustworthy, easy to be around and a natural leader,’ we are proud to recognize Andrew for his outstanding contributions to both the academic and cultural fabric of the MEM program,” said Grant Murray, associate dean for professional programs and coastal and marine systems co-chair, during the ceremony. “Several faculty members who have worked with Andrew across multiple contexts — research, independent studies, coursework and travel — consistently highlight his high ethical standards, academic excellence, and personal resilience.” 

Chris Hachtman

MEM, with concentrations in Environmental Economics and Policy and Coastal and Marine Systems

Advisor: Martin Smith

Hachtman came to the Nicholas School after working for three years at the management consulting firm McKinsey & Company, where he led McKinsey Austin’s sustainable and inclusive growth initiative. Previously, as an undergraduate at Notre Dame, he examined the economics of recreational red snapper fishing in the Gulf of Mexico. The MEM program’s “unique interdisciplinary approach to coastal environmental management” enabled him to blend his passion for fishing with career-building tools, Hachtman said.

For his , Hachtman built a novel model to examine how decentralized, price-based regulations such as fishing license fees affect recreational fishery dynamics and outcomes. The work is “breaking new ground in the field,” Murray noted. 

“Chris has excelled across a wide range of disciplines, consistently earning top marks in demanding coursework in Ph.D.-level economics classes. In interdisciplinary settings that require analytical rigor and creative problem-solving — such as his course on fisheries policy — Chris demonstrated deep intellectual curiosity, precision in thinking, and a drive to connect theory with real-world challenges,” Murray said. 

Hachtman will continue his studies at the Nicholas School as a Ph.D. student in environmental policy.

Kirsten “Kat” Taylor

MEM, with a concentration in Environmental Economics and Policy; Master of City and Regional Planning, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC)

Advisor: Ryan Emanuel, Todd BenDor (UNC)

Taylor pursued a combined MEM and Master of City and Regional Planning from UNC because she wanted to better understand how local laws and politics shape individual decisions about climate solutions. “This concurrent degree program has allowed me to develop a deeper understanding of policy at a national, state and local level,” Taylor said.

ղǰ’s addressed climate resilience and geospatial data management in collaboration with the Lumbee Tribe and its Cultural Center. Working with fellow Nicholas School student Tullis Davis, she led research on flood risks and developed tools to support the Tribe’s environmental planning, setting a strong precedent for future Tribal partnerships, Murray noted. 

As a research fellow for the Southern Environmental Law Center, Taylor created state-specific environmental and climate justice newsletters for the center’s Tennessee and Virginia offices. She also served as a volunteer analyst with The Nature Conservancy’s Freshwater Team in Lima, Peru, where she co-designed a method to evaluate water-based ecosystem services in a protected forest area, among many other duties.

“Kat has set the standards for inter-institutional excellence. Her coursework and professionalism are deeply integrated, consistently applying classroom knowledge to real-world challenges,” Murray said.