Beata Płonka is a senior social scientist and a communications consultant working since 2003 for the World Bank, International Finance Corporation, UN Environmental Program and UN Office on Drugs and Crime. Primarily a social scientist, working on poverty and social inclusion, she is also interested in the nexus of environment and poverty, as well as governance issues. She has a Ph.D. in political science, with diplomas from the Johns Hopkins University and the Jagiellonian University in Poland. In 2002 she was a Senior Fulbright Fellow at the US Congress.