Prior to joining HR&A, Tupelo worked as an Environment and Sustainability Intern for the City of Miami Beach. There, she helped develop the city’s Sea Level Rise Vulnerability Assessment and Climate Adaptation Plan to understand social vulnerability to sea level rise. She also assisted in the city’s application process for Inflation Reduction Act funding for its various sustainability initiatives. Her undergraduate thesis examined opinions surrounding a managed retreat strategy in Pacifica, CA, using both qualitative content analysis and spatial analysis to investigate how residents responded to the policy and the factors that contributed to their perception of it.

Tupelo holds a B.A in Urban Studies with a specialization in Sustainable Development from Columbia University.