https://www.sisumentor.org/blog daily 0.75 2021-08-20 https://www.sisumentor.org/home daily 1.0 2023-07-30 https://www.sisumentor.org/emily-slesinger daily 0.75 2020-09-03 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f18685777c0112e940b5263/1597853845405-SU7VRJXIQG2GZJL23LM0/Emily+Slesinger+Headshot.jpg Emily Slesinger - Emily Slesinger USA Fisheries Doctoral Student Emily is interested in how to best manage fisheries under ongoing and future climate change. Managing fisheries under normal conditions is already difficult, but as we see the increasingly negative effects of environmental change on fisheries, it is becoming clear that we cannot manage fish species without taking into account the effects of the environment. Emily uses tools from physiology, ecology, and reproductive biology to understand how the environment may effect certain fish, and how this intersects with current and future fisheries management. Her research includes field, laboratory, and computer-based research. During some of her field work she has been the only woman on fishing boats, and while most of her experiences have been positive, she remembers the discomfort and “on-edge” feeling she had most of the time. She wishes to embolden future female scientists to safely engage with field and lab work, even in the remaining male-dominated domains. She also strives to teach and support women to have strong voices in their scientific fields, research, and life! Originally from California, she is currently a PhD candidate in Biological Oceanography at Rutgers University and is intrigued by fisheries in both the Pacific and Atlantic oceans. When she’s not being a fish nerd, Emily enjoys hiking, trail running, swimming in the ocean, painting, and eating popcorn. https://www.sisumentor.org/leadership daily 0.75 2020-10-22 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f18685777c0112e940b5263/1596001442562-MKFJ45ANKL2R37D0QCME/23632506_10211941933876263_5675552844319525292_o.jpg Leadership Pronouns: she/her/hers https://www.sisumentor.org/kimberly-miner daily 0.75 2020-09-03 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f18685777c0112e940b5263/1597378562933-BSQOS2Y0JIB6PA6KM0DF/KimberlyMiner_PowerPose-002.jpg Kimberly Miner - Dr. Kimberly R. Miner USA Climate Scientist and Assistant Research Professor Dr. Kimberley R. Miner is a climate scientist with a focus on risk assessment and systems dynamics. At JPL, Kimberley works with international teams on the Arctic Methane Project looking at the impacts of climate change in the Arctic. She is a graduate of Columbia’s School of International and Public Affairs (MPA) and University of Maine’s Climate Change Institute (Ph.D.) where she continues her work as a Research Assistant Professor looking at global risks from climate change. In this capacity, she manages pollution research for the 2019 Rolex/National Geographic trip to Mt. Everest. She is a Fellow at the Center for Climate and Security and Co-chair of the NASA Interagency Forum on Climate Risks, Impacts, and Adaptation. During her Doctoral research, Kimberley worked with multi-national teams in Canada, Switzerland, and Alaska to develop the first risk assessment of glacial meltwater pollution. For this research, she was awarded a Fulbright scholarship and fellowships from the National Science Foundation, Department of Defense, and the Switzer Foundation. Prior to her Ph.D., Kimberley worked at Columbia’s Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory and the NYC Office of Emergency Management, creating platforms for scientists and emergency managers to engage with the public after Hurricane Sandy. Based on this work, she was invited to join a 2014-2015 NSF research trip to Antarctica where she traveled by boat from Chile to Palmer Station. https://www.sisumentor.org/carly-quisenberry daily 0.75 2020-09-03 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f18685777c0112e940b5263/1597379028992-WENTXT2EXCA193UWR9UP/Carly+Quisenberry.jpg Carly Quisenberry - Carly Quisenberry USA Science Technician and Station Manager Carly is a science technician and station manager that has spent her career living and working in some of the most remote and isolated places on earth. She’s specialized in technical, managerial, outreach and research skills, while supporting diverse, cutting edge and important conservation and climate science. In 2019, Carly was selected to be 1 of 100 in the world to join the largest ever all-women expedition to Antarctica. The cohort of women represented 25 Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics and Medical (STEMM) disciplines and 35 nationalities. Carly’s professional goals have always been rooted in science and working to support and engage in research that develops into real-world conservation strategies. Her experiences and practice to date, form the foundation of her tri-fold professional interests: conservation practice, outreach and creating a diverse and inclusive environment from which to tackle the most pressing biodiversity challenges we face as a society today. https://www.sisumentor.org/kristen-sharpe daily 0.75 2020-09-03 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f18685777c0112e940b5263/1597379327987-QTI3QMQXBANXPR3PEX6G/Kristen+Sharpe.jpg Kristen Sharpe - Kristen SharpE USA Zooplankton Master’s Student Kristen Sharpe is a third-year masters student at the Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS). Originally from central New York, she attended the SUNY College of Environmental Science & Forestry where she earned a Bachelor's of Science degree in Biological Applications of Environmental Studies. She moved to Virginia shortly after graduating and began working as a marine educator at the Chesapeake Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve at VIMS. For nearly five years, she helped to educate tens of thousands of students, teachers, and members of the general public on the important research and work being done at VIMS and beyond. As a graduate student, she now studies zooplankton (animals that can not swim against a current) in the York River estuary, Virginia and the Sargasso Sea off Bermuda. In addition to research, Kristen serves as co-President of the Graduate Student Association (GSA), on multiple student committees, and has continued to pursue her passion for education by participating in various education and outreach events at VIMS. Her personal interests include spending time outside (kayaking, canoeing, hiking, fishing, crabbing, swimming), listening to and playing music, cooking and baking, painting, traveling, and spending time with family and friends. https://www.sisumentor.org/how-we-work daily 0.75 2023-07-30 https://www.sisumentor.org/emily-hollenbeck daily 0.75 2020-09-03 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f18685777c0112e940b5263/1599091794168-S14P4BE3M4E66OFG72IB/Emily%2BHollenbeck.jpg Emily Hollenbeck - Dr. Emily Hollenbeck Costa Rica Tropical Biologist Emily is a biogeographer and conservation biologist, rooted in tropical biology but with an interest in large-scale questions about environmental sustainability. She has been based in Monteverde, Costa Rica since 2011, where her field work has allowed her to deeply explore the tropical mountains that inspire her. Her dissertation research demonstrated the high vulnerability of tropical montane species (specifically epiphytes, or plants that grow up in the canopy) to climate change, and she received a PhD in Ecology & Evolutionary Biology from Brown University. Since finishing her PhD, Emily has chosen to continue research and teaching outside of traditional academia. Emily is passionate about preparing the next generation to confront pressing environmental problems, and her path follows a strong conviction that being open to a variety of experiences makes her a better scientist, teacher and person. Professionally, she wears many hats: she teaches in the field, in the classroom, and online; collaborates on research documenting the impacts of climate change on tropical forests; and develops experimental curricula for innovative courses about sustainability and conservation around the world. She also works outdoors whenever possible, travels extensively, reads voraciously, climbs trees, grows food, and ultimately strives to understand and address the connection between humans and nature. https://www.sisumentor.org/mission daily 0.75 2023-07-30 https://www.sisumentor.org/leigh-west daily 0.75 2020-09-03 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f18685777c0112e940b5263/1597375119211-Y6FLFV5RP0EHBSF00SKG/Leigh+West.JPG Leigh West - Leigh West USA Science Communications Master’s Student Leigh is passionate about pursuing conservation solutions with a focus on interdisciplinarity, local community involvement, and outreach. She graduated from Columbia University with a BA in Environmental Biology in 2016, and is in the process of applying to ecology and conservation-focused PhD programs while completing her Masters in Science Communication at Imperial College London. She has worked as a research technician on puma projects in Wyoming and California, zooplankton and seabird projects in Antarctica, marine mammal projects in New York City and Alaska, and primate projects in South Africa. https://www.sisumentor.org/daniela-raik daily 0.75 2020-09-03 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f18685777c0112e940b5263/1597376809732-16HXINHYQWL0TZTR20YR/Daniela+Raik.jpg Daniela Raik - Dr. Daniela Raik USA Executive Vice President of Field Programs, Conservation International Daniela directs the CI’s efforts to maximize nature as a climate solution, expand ocean conservation and advance models of sustainable development that maintain natural capital while generating benefits for people. Prior to this role, she served as Senior Vice President of Conservation International’s Americas program, overseeing key strategic initiatives in Amazonia, the Eastern Tropical Pacific, and the “Water & Cities” program (Bogotá, Mexico City and Rio de Janeiro). Daniela has worked at Conservation International for 14 years. During that time, she has served as Managing Director of the Betty and Gordon Moore Center for Science, as well as Vice President of Field Program Management, supporting the operations and delivery of the organization’s field divisions. She was instrumental in developing the Gaborone Declaration for Sustainability in Africa, an African-led initiative that provides a new model for sustainable development on the continent. Daniela has spent two decades in conservation, natural resource management and sustainable development. She has a Ph.D. and M.S. in natural resources from Cornell University, and a B.A. in biology from New York University. https://www.sisumentor.org/anna-kusler daily 0.75 2020-09-03 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f18685777c0112e940b5263/1597377882024-X6L40ND6LQCQ7PI1U3PM/Anna+Kusler.jpg Anna Kusler - Anna Kusler USA and Zambia Doctoral Graduate Researcher, Cheetah Conservation Anna Kusler is a doctoral graduate researcher and the site co-manager for the Zambian Carnivore Programme (ZCP) in Kafue National Park, Zambia. Her dissertation is a collaboration between ZCP, Panthera, Montana State University, and the Rangewide Conservation Program for Cheetah, and examines the connectivity, demography, and conservation of cheetahs in the KAZA landscape of southern Africa, with an emphasis on the Greater Kafue and Greater Liuwa ecosystems. Before joining ZCP, Anna studied mountain lions in the southern Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem of northwestern Wyoming. Her MSc, a collaboration between Panthera and Pace University, examined mountain lion spatial ecology and home range selection. Before that, Anna received her BSc in Natural Resources and Applied Ecology from Cornell University, during which time she studied cheetahs in Botswana, bats and deer in New England, and sea turtles in Costa Rica. Outside of bush life, Anna is an avid dancer, a passionate mountaineer, and is incredibly fond of garlic bread. https://www.sisumentor.org/alison-chang daily 0.75 2020-09-03 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f18685777c0112e940b5263/1597444391316-ON9IH23X0GQHNCBIM0SD/Alison+Chang+Headshot.jpg Alison Chang - Alison Chang USA Google Software Engineer Alison has been working as a Software Engineer (SWE) on Natural Language Understanding for Google Assistant for 4 years. She discovered coding in her first year at Columbia University and ended up majoring in Computer Science with a minor in Psychology. During undergrad, Alison explored both the industry and academia sides of the tech field through 2 Google internships (Taipei 2014, California 2015) and a few years of research in a Natural Language Processing lab at Columbia. A native New Yorker, Alison graduated from Columbia in 2016, spent the summer teaching high school students at Girls Who Code, (learned to drive), and moved to the west coast to work at Google headquarters. She continues to be passionate about tech, education, and representation within STEM and co-led the Google Women in Engineering Bay Area group for several years. Outside of tech, Alison is a huge fan of puzzle hunts, escape rooms, and jigsaw puzzles, sings tenor in a women's barbershop chorus, and misses playing with her half-poodle-quarter-lab-quarter-cocker-spaniel, Cookie, who lives with her parents in NYC. https://www.sisumentor.org/get-matched daily 0.75 2024-05-08 https://www.sisumentor.org/marie-zahn daily 0.75 2020-09-03 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f18685777c0112e940b5263/1597378857586-MK5N62TXR3UD1KE152PH/Marie+Zahn.jpg Marie Zahn - Marie Zahn USA Bioacoustics Master’s Student Marie's multidisciplinary background has fed her lasting interests in art and science, having worked in fields like filmmaking and manual therapy. Her love for the outdoors coupled with inspiring crew members has opened a career in environmental science with a special focus on polar regions most affected by climate change. For her undergraduate thesis, she worked with Indigenous communities in coastal British Columbia, studying the ethnobotany of western redcedar. After graduating Columbia University in 2016 with a B.A. in Environmental Biology, Marie worked seasonally in numerous remote field sites. Her longest deployments were as a biological technician studying Pacific salmon in Alaska and as a field science leader at Palmer Station, Antarctica studying microbiology and phytoplankton dynamics. She is now in a Master's program at the University of Washington studying beluga and narwhal bioacoustics with plans to continue on to a PhD. https://www.sisumentor.org/tricia-thibodeau daily 0.75 2020-09-03 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f18685777c0112e940b5263/1597443054218-FQHEFOHF1EPJOI3O6VU8/Tricia+Headshot.jpg Tricia Thibodeau - Dr. Tricia Thibodeau USA RI C-AIM Postdoctoral Fellow & Plankton Ecologist I am a plankton ecologist focused on the effects of rapid climate change on phytoplankton and zooplankton populations and physiology. The major pillars of my research explore how global climate change (1) has and will impact long-term trends in plankton population dynamics and (2) has affected plankton physiology and feeding ecology. As an undergraduate, I attended Bowdoin College, a small liberal arts college, where I appreciated the close-knit mentorship with faculty and encouragement to pursue an advanced degree in oceanography. I received my Ph.D. at the Virginia Institute of Marine Science, William & Mary, where I had the opportunity to participate on five research cruises in Antarctica to understand the effects of climate change on zooplankton populations. Currently, I am a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Rhode Island where I am analyzing a 50-year phytoplankton time series in Narragansett Bay. I appreciate the wonderful mentorship I received during my education and career and I am excited to pay this forward as a culturally responsive mentor. https://www.sisumentor.org/kharis-schrage daily 0.75 2020-09-15 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f18685777c0112e940b5263/1597606252292-I53LBKBVLO9YXF6AL6WA/Kharis+Headshot.jpeg Kharis Schrage - Kharis Schrage USA Polar ecology doctoral student Kharis has been interested in the ocean her whole life. On family trips to the beach, she brought her dissecting scope. From there, marine biology was a center point, and she found every opportunity to explore. During undergrad at William and Mary she did research in Virginia, Maine, Australia, and Antarctica. After graduating, she spent three years working as a technician on different projects, including work on Sturgeon in Georgia and Florida, Salmon on a remote island in Alaska, and three more trips to the Antarctic to work on krill. Nothing has been more valuable than working in the field on long deployments with incredible people. When not in the field she loves fudge, traveling, hiking, going to markets, and making anything from ice cream to a table. She is now a Phd student in the joint program in oceanography between MIT and the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) studying Arctic benthic ecology and larval biology. https://www.sisumentor.org/join-us daily 0.75 2023-07-30 https://www.sisumentor.org/jennie-miller daily 0.75 2020-09-15 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f18685777c0112e940b5263/1597379517822-X7BECL2FO7MRM4FG5N5B/Jennie+Miller.jpg Jennie Miller - Dr. Jennie Miller USA Wildlife ecologist and conservation scientist Jennie studies human-wildlife coexistence and the costs and effectiveness of approaches for protecting biodiversity globally. She draws from an interdisciplinary toolkit to understand interactions between people and wildlife, and develop decision-support tools that transform conflict into coexistence. She has conducted fieldwork in Asia, Africa, and Central and North America on a range of taxa, and specializes in large carnivore ecology. Jennie has worked since 2017 as a senior scientist at Defenders of Wildlife, where she provides scientific guidance for law, policy and field conservation programs dedicated to protecting North America's threatened and endangered species. She also conducts research on human-wildlife conflict and coexistence and is contributing to science and advocacy that aims to advance the policies protecting wildlife from impacts of the US-Mexico border wall, climate change and illegal international trafficking. Prior to joining Defenders, Jennie worked as a postdoctoral researcher with Panthera, UC-Berkeley, Cornell University and the University of Cape Town studying the ecology and conservation of African lions and leopards. Jennie also contributes to efforts to expand the inclusion and success of women and minority conservationists. https://www.sisumentor.org/shawnee-traylor daily 0.75 2020-09-03 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f18685777c0112e940b5263/1597689928260-JCRRCUPTZ9VPZ1OXEWT3/Shawnee+Headshot.jpg Shawnee Traylor - Shawnee Traylor USA PhD student in chemical oceanography Shawnee is dedicated to improving the way we study chemistry in the environment. She currently works at the interface of chemical sensing and biogeochemical cycling, employing a diverse set of technologies to make long-term observations of the marine carbon cycle. Prior to starting her PhD in a joint program between MIT and the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI), Shawnee completed her undergraduate studies in environmental chemistry at Columbia University (2018) and worked as a field research assistant in Antarctica. Her undergraduate research at the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory focused on environmental sensing and carbon capture, ranging from applications in urban air and water quality in New York City, the carbon dynamics of Omani aquifers, and the resiliency of Panamanian coral reefs. Despite being a native Californian, her years spent in and out of rural Iceland carved a special place in her heart for polar environments. This has inspired her current projects focusing on using autonomous vehicles to study methane emissions in the Arctic and the deep-mixing subpolar North Atlantic's ability to sequester carbon dioxide on climate-relevant timescales. Shawnee is also interested in public outreach through data-driven art. Recent projects include a collaboration with Ennead Architecture Lab and serving as the Science and Technology Advisor to the New York-based nonprofit +Pool for the launch of a floating public art installation as a real-time indicator of water quality in the East River. Away from the lab, she loves acrobatics and sailing away her lifelong phobia of the ocean. https://www.sisumentor.org/ceci-cerrilla daily 0.75 2020-09-03 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f18685777c0112e940b5263/1597378081837-RDD4ZQ92SD930CK60WV1/Ceci+Cerrilla.JPG Ceci Cerrilla - Ceci Cerrilla USA Conservation Biologist Ceci is passionate about practical conservation-driven research that contributes to real on-the-ground change. She has been involved in several species-specific research and conservation projects, including the Mariana Crow Recovery Project on the pacific island of Rota and most recently through her Masters research, the Saving Sandfish project in southwestern South Africa. She holds a BSc in environmental science from Brown University and a Masters in conservation biology from the University of Cape Town. She’s busy planning her next step: possibly involving a PhD furthering her work with sandfish conservation. Watch this space! https://www.sisumentor.org/stephanie-sardelis daily 0.75 2020-09-15 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f18685777c0112e940b5263/1597422958808-5Z4WQMYLLW3T0H5ODUJR/Steph+Headshot.jpg Stephanie Sardelis - Stephanie Sardelis Canada National Aquatic Invasive Species Advisor Ocean protection and public education have always been Stephanie's greatest passions. She has studied marine life across Canada through Queen's University, the Bamfield Marine Sciences Centre, and the Huntsman Marine Science Centre. She has a Master's of Conservation Biology from Columbia University in the City of New York, during which she analyzed Arctic marine mammal acoustics for the Wildlife Conservation Society. She also conducted research on the vocalizations of extinct-in-the-wild Kihansi spray toads, electro-fished in the Bronx River for endangered American Eels, and monitored the beaches of Brooklyn at midnight for Horseshoe Crabs in partnership with the Audubon Society -- all very normal activities for a New Yorker, right? Stephanie has published numerous peer-reviewed papers on promoting women in science, particularly at conferences, and is an avid feminist. Most recently, Stephanie is coordinating efforts across Canada through the federal government to prevent the introduction and spread of aquatic invasive species. https://www.sisumentor.org/rachel-tao daily 0.75 2020-09-03 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f18685777c0112e940b5263/1597603829771-3CXRH5S1501442ODFT81/Rachel+Tao.jpg Rachel Tao - Rachel Tao USA Epidemiology Master’s Student Rachel is passionate about understanding data-driven approaches to real world problems. She received her BA in Environmental Biology from Columbia University, where she studied ecosystem services of green roofs in upper Manhattan and the Bronx. She has worked at the NYC Department of Parks and Recreation, and as a clinical research assistant in pediatric endocrinology at Columbia University Irving Medical Center. In 2016 she started volunteering as a rape crisis and domestic violence survivor advocate, work that kindled in her an interest in violence prevention. Currently, she is pursuing her MPH at Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, where she studies Epidemiology, with a focus on Applied Biostatistics. She works on projects related to 1) gun violence prevention and harm reduction in NY and NJ, 2) health information sharing platforms and community outreach in Washington Heights, NYC, and 3) methodology for assessing the health effects of environmental mixtures, such as the effects of breathing in multiple different air pollutants, for a population. In her spare time, she likes to knit and tend to her houseplants, Amanda and Ginger. https://www.sisumentor.org/skye-moret daily 0.75 2020-09-03 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f18685777c0112e940b5263/1597377180278-ULW7PWF6B9WDTUQ8S4LQ/SkyeMoret.jpg Skye Moret - Skye Morét USA Data-driven designer & marine scientist Skye’s diverse background on the ocean—having sailed 80,000+ nautical miles around the globe—fuels her belief in the power of art and design to engage citizens with nature and science. Her design work investigates the complex relationship between nature and technology-mediated human expectations, experiences, and engagement. Skye’s scientific work focuses on pelagic marine debris and shifting thermal habitats due to climate change. One recent art-science fellowship was a 2019 post at the National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis. Skye is the Design Director at data visualization studio Periscopic and Senior Researcher on TBA–21 Academy’s Ocean Archive project. She is also an Assistant Professor in the Collaborative Design + Design Systems graduate program at the Pacific Northwest College of Art in Portland, Oregon. Skye has authored multidisciplinary publications in Science, Slate, Migrant Journal, Popular Science, Roads & Kingdoms, and Public Radio International, among others. www.skyemoret.com https://www.sisumentor.org/leslie-potts daily 0.75 2020-09-03 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f18685777c0112e940b5263/1597689432699-SZOCD6IRR6RINFGFMZ56/Leslie+Potts.jpg Leslie Potts - Dr. Leslie Potts USA Eco-physiology Post-Doctoral Scholar I specialize in how arthropods deal with the stress of temperature shifts as a result of climate change. I am interested in how arthropods will respond to global climate change through a cascade from their own individual physiology to the ecosystem. Understanding how individual arthropods may respond to temperature regime shifts can help us understand their interactions with other organisms in their environment and ultimately the nutrient flows in their ecosystems. I recently accepted a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Alaska-Fairbanks where I will be focusing on the ecosystem-level shifts as a result of temperature warming caused by climate change. Besides my research questions, I have a passion for teaching and encouraging a science interest from all backgrounds and diversities. I identify as a first-generation college student and as a woman in STEM. Throughout my career, I have recognized the lack of diversity in the sciences, both academically and demographically. I want to help foster a love of science through understanding the natural world, especially in women and under-represented groups. I feel science can only benefit from a collaboration of diverse minds and backgrounds, and it is time to see a more represented academic culture. https://www.sisumentor.org/justine-smith daily 0.75 2020-09-09 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f18685777c0112e940b5263/1599679206347-XD61KUE699RW7OSJI43L/Justine+Smith.jpeg Justine Smith - Dr. justine smith USA Assistant Professor at University of California Davis Department of Wildlife, Fish, and Conservation Biology Justine’s research broadly tackles questions in predator-prey ecology, her primary interest is how human activities alter wildlife behavior and interactions between species. Justine works primarily with large terrestrial mammals and has conducted fieldwork across the United States and in Argentina, Canada, and Costa Rica. She was trained in interdisciplinary programs for her PhD at the University of California, Santa Cruz and as a postdoctoral scholar at the University of California, Berkeley. Justine is committed to public outreach and engagement with stakeholders. She has given dozens of public talks to schools and community groups, and her work has been featured by the Washington Post, LA Times, NPR, National Geographic, Newsweek, BBC, Scientific American, Popular Science, New Scientist, and High Country News. She works closely with nonprofits and government agencies to increase the applicability of her research to addressing modern conservation challenges. Justine continues to seek out and adopt new ways to improve equity and access in her research, mentoring, and outreach activities. https://www.sisumentor.org/sara-beery daily 0.75 2020-09-17 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f18685777c0112e940b5263/1600379649691-5XN77GVA6CAPZ6PU5VVC/image-asset.jpeg Sara Beery - Sara beery USA Conservation Technologist and Computer Vision Researcher Sara Beery is a PhD Candidate at Caltech, advised by Pietro Perona and funded by an NSF Graduate Research Fellowship. Her research focuses on machine learning and computer vision for biodiversity monitoring, particularly for detection and recognition of animal species in challenging data at a global scale. She works closely with Microsoft AI for Earth and Google Research/Wildlife Insights where she helps turn her research into usable tools for the ecology/biodiversity community. She believes STEM should be accessible to all, regardless of gender, race, age, nationality, sexuality, or religion, and is passionate about increasing diversity and inclusion in STEM through mentorship and outreach. https://www.sisumentor.org/briana-abrahms daily 0.75 2020-09-03 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f18685777c0112e940b5263/1598210102289-SUHXQBB9R42S6HVI4UXM/Briana+Abrahms+Headshot.JPG Briana Abrahms - Dr. Briana Abrahms USA Wildlife Ecologist and Assistant Professor Briana is an Assistant Professor of Natural History and Conservation at the University of Washington, where her research takes her around the globe to understand the effects of environmental change on wildlife ecology and conservation. She has conducted fieldwork in North America, South America, and Africa, on species ranging from marine mammals in the open ocean to large carnivores in the African savanna. Her work has been featured in a variety of media outlets, including The Atlantic, the Los Angeles Times, and the BBC. Beyond basic research, Briana works closely with stakeholders, managers and policy-makers to conduct user-informed science and develop innovative tools for conservation. Her work has been integrated into landscape planning for carnivore conservation in southern Africa and policies to reduce large whale mortalities along the U.S. West Coast. Briana is a graduate of University of California-Berkeley’s Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management (Ph.D.) and is a former Presidential Management Fellow with the Climate and Ecosystems Group in the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Before discovering her love of ecology, Briana studied physics and carried out research on space radiation at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s Langley Research Center. She is passionate about science outreach and promoting diversity within STEM fields. https://www.sisumentor.org/audra-bass daily 0.75 2020-09-12 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f18685777c0112e940b5263/1599874420312-7BPIZX8ZW0AAZB2OAQGQ/IMG_20180905_131503.jpg Audra Bass - Audra bass USA Public Health Master’s Student Hello! My name is Audra, and I was born and raised in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. I went to Duke University for my undergrad where I got my B.S. Biology and minor in Religious Studies. While at Duke I spent a huge part of my undergrad at the Duke Lemur Center. This is a place I got to explore the world of non-invasive research and the behavioral studies of amazing creatures, such as lemurs. That experience was a dream and really set the stage for small field experiences, such as field based studies in the South Africa OTS program or working as a field intern in the Peruvian Amazon. It was in the Peruvian Amazon, specifically the Madre de Region, where my passion for environmental justice truly sparked - that environmental conservation and ecosystem preservation should not exclude the wellbeing of people, especially the peoples that base their livelihoods, culture, etc. off the land. I was tired of being in a space that was loud and passionate about protecting forests and ecosystems but barely spoke up for people. I once had a professor that passionately proposed that a Nature Reserve in Madagascar be completely blocked off from people, even the locals, to protect the biodiversity inside. That was my first taste of witnessing neocolonialism and it didn't set well with me. I did have some incredible mentors/bosses/professors who did advocate for people in the biological/ecological world, but I wanted to delve a little further into the world of social justice. I eventually found myself drawn to Global Health, which I explored more after graduation. My interests and goals led me to Tamil Nadu, India where I did a 10 month fellowship working for Keystone Foundation. This was an NGO that had spent the past 20+ years supporting the livelihoods of various indigenous people groups in the Nilgiris Biosphere and in supporting those groups also played a major role in the preservation of that Biosphere. My passions for wellbeing of the environment and of people began to mesh and mold. I later returned to Peru (a full circle from years ago in college) and worked on WASH (water, sanitation, and hygiene) projects for two years in a small community (Tsachopen) nestled in the cloud rainforest of Pasco, Peru. Water is a quintessential example of how the wellbeing of living beings is deeply interconnected (clean water ensures the better health of people and the first step to clean water is preserving natural ecosystems). I have since moved to Atlanta, Georgia and started my Master's of Public Health at Emory University. I am in the Global Environmental Health Concentration. Over the next two years I am going to develop my skills and passions in WASH, infectious diseases, and women's and children's health. https://www.sisumentor.org/emily-chou daily 0.75 2020-09-09 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f18685777c0112e940b5263/1599615307518-YFKZUBN02LQ81Y5WPJ7T/Emily+Chou.png Emily Chou - Emily Chou USA Marine Mammal Research Assistant Emily’s interest in marine conservation science and policy began when she worked at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography and NOAA’s Southwest Fisheries Science Center while completing her Bachelor’s degree at the University of California, San Diego. Since then she has been involved in several conservation projects including fieldwork, marine mammal acoustics, sea turtle ecology, sea otter population monitoring, habitat modeling, and various policy activities on ocean noise and habitat designations. Emily holds a Master’s in conservation biology from Columbia University in the City of New York, and is currently working as a research assistant with the Wildlife Conservation Society. She is an avid dog-lover (and will say ‘Hi’ to the dog before the person), and strangely loathes cheese and summer. https://www.sisumentor.org/schuyler-nardelli daily 0.75 2020-09-15 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f18685777c0112e940b5263/1600209717752-EEWOCB209P1YTZMT9H18/Schuyler%2BNardelli.jpg Schuyler Nardelli - Schuyler Nardelli USA Plankton ecology doctoral student Growing up in the Adirondack mountains of upstate New York, Schuyler has always had a strong connection to the outdoors, but it was not until an introductory oceanography class her sophomore year at Bowdoin College that she discovered her interest in ocean research. In undergrad, she spent a summer with Sea Education Association (SEA) sailing from Honolulu to San Francisco studying the relationship between ocean acidification and pteropod shell degradation, and a summer studying phytoplankton bloom dynamics in a reverse estuary in Harpswell, ME. After graduating, she worked in an ocean optics lab at the Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute in Fort Pierce, FL studying phytoplankton physiology. Currently, she is a doctoral student at Rutgers University studying the effects of climate change on plankton ecology in Antarctica. Her research relies heavily on cutting-edge technology such as ocean gliders to collect high-resolution data in remote environments. Outside of work, Schuyler loves outdoor adventures, traveling, ice hockey, and dogs. https://www.sisumentor.org/courtney-coon daily 0.75 2020-09-03 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f18685777c0112e940b5263/1598307675998-4YWCR75TH1LFV1AIQ28S/Courtney+Coon.jpg Courtney Coon - Dr. Courtney Coon USA Lead Wildlife Biologist I am interested in examining the role of individual, population, and environmental variation in animal health. I have a bachelors in animal biology (and minor in art history – woot!) from UC Davis and a PhD from the University of South Florida. For my graduate work, I investigated the ecological interactions between a recently invaded songbird, its native competitors, and their shared parasites in Kenya and Florida. After that, I worked for two years as a post-doc at the University of Pretoria in South Africa where I studied infection incidence and immunity in wild African buffalos inside a wildlife preserve and domestic cattle that live near the preserve boundaries. I am now a mom and working in the San Francisco Bay Area for a small wild cat conservation non-profit where I design, implement, and manage multiple projects aimed at conserving wildlife and promoting human-wildlife coexistence locally. https://www.sisumentor.org/nadine-holmes daily 0.75 2020-09-15 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f18685777c0112e940b5263/1600210367123-8Q6KFY0ATFOXVLDJMWRF/20200914_155118.jpg Nadine Holmes - Nadine Holmes Peru Director of Research - Hoja Nueva Nadine has been serving as on-site carnivore researcher and general research coordinator to interns at Hoja Nueva since May of 2019. For some time, Nadine has been aspiring for a lifestyle and career in large carnivore management and conservation in a research setting. She is especially interested in the effects of human encroachment on carnivore habitats and mitigation of human wildlife conflict, and is intrigued by interdisciplinary exploration and resolution. Additionally, she is very interested in the ecology and behaviour of sympatric carnivores and their subsequent interactions, which is what lead her to Hoja Nueva. Through time spent in the field, she has become involved with interception of illegally acquired wildlife and education programmes aimed to combat such issues. Before joining Hoja Nueva, Nadine received her BSc with Honours in Wildlife Conservation, in which time she studied spatial and temporal partitioning between Africa wild dogs, cheetah and lion as well as the diet of Brown Hyaena in the Limpopo province of South Africa in collaboration with the Primate and Predator Project. Nadine has most recently focused on camera trapping and analysing scat for feline diet research in the Lowland Peruvian Amazon. She is currently developing her own project on ecological guilds and mesopredators in the region, and is applying for a PhD in human-carnivore conflicts and solutions, with the aim of protecting small and large felines simultaneously with local, native communities. https://www.sisumentor.org/shannon-allen-whiles daily 0.75 2020-09-03 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f18685777c0112e940b5263/1598573345415-T7DA6U4A6BSUG2VABBR4/Shannon+Allen+Whiles.PNG Shannon Allen Whiles - Shannon Allen Whiles USA Immunology & Infectious Disease Doctoral Student Shannon is a PhD student at Washington State University in the Immunology and Infectious Diseases program. Her research is focused on Francisella tularensis, a bacteria which is considered one of the most infectious known pathogens. Francisella causes the disease tularemia, also known as rabbit fever. She is specifically interested in how bacteria evade and sometimes even manipulate the human host immune system to cause disease. Understanding these host-pathogen interactions is important because as the threat of antibiotic resistance grows, so does the need for alternate therapeutics which target these interactions rather than the bacteria itself. Before attending graduate school, Shannon earned her Bachelor's of Science in biochemistry from Middle Tennessee State University, during which she completed and defended an honor's thesis on natural product isolation. In the two years between undergraduate and graduate school, she worked as a microbiology quality control analyst for US Smokeless Tobacco and a research technician in a lab at East Tennessee State University studying kidney disease. https://www.sisumentor.org/bethany-augliere daily 0.75 2020-09-03 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f18685777c0112e940b5263/1598728385321-5U3PWN8QO27JRSJND4EH/BethanyAugliereSelfie.jpg Bethany Augliere - Bethany Augliere USA Marine biologist and Science Communicator Bethany Augliere is a marine biologist, science writer and photographer based in South Florida. She earned a B.S. degree in Wildlife Science from Virginia Tech, an M.S. in Marine Biology from Florida Atlantic University and a graduate certificate from the UC Santa Cruz science communication program. Her work has brought her around the world and eye to eye with animals like tiger sharks, manta rays, leatherback sea turtles and elephant seals. She is broadly interested in ecology and movement patterns of marine mammals and other marine megafauna and conservation science. She currently holds an appointment as a Research Associate with the Wild Dolphin Project and is a contributing photographer to the Everyday Extinction project. In 2009, Bethany began work as a graduate student and field assistant with the Wild Dolphin Project, led by marine mammal biologist Dr. Denise Herzing. She spent her summers living at sea in the Bahamas to study two resident communities of Atlantic spotted dolphins and bottlenose dolphins. She freedove alongside these wild mammals to document their behavior and communication, and studied their home ranges and habitat use. Habituated to human presence, these dolphins granted her access to the most intimate moments in their lives, such as observing calves learn to swim and hunt, watching mothers nurse their young and glimpsing males fight for the attention of coy females. Watching their relationships and struggles due to human activity ultimately led to her interest in storytelling and conservation photography. She strives to combine her scientific background and artistry to help people emotionally connect to wild subjects and experience the wonders of nature. Ultimately, she hopes her efforts in science communication increase ocean literacy, raise awareness for conservation issues and inspire a sense of stewardship and positive action toward the environment. Her writing and photography have been featured in popular media outlets, such as Hakai magazine, National Geographic and Oceanographic magazine. She also produced a children’s documentary about endangered gopher tortoises for Schoolyard Films, led by Emmy-award winning BBC filmmaker Tom Ftiz. https://www.sisumentor.org/maggie-amsler daily 0.75 2020-09-03 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f18685777c0112e940b5263/1599108547118-FDYPJHKBX702GCUZX1B8/Maggie+Amsler.jpg Maggie Amsler - Dr. Margaret amsler USA Polar Biologist Maggie Amsler is an accidental polar biologist. She became enamored with the marine realm as a young girl from Illinois spending her first family vacation on a Florida beach. Years later as a marine biology major at DePaul her undergraduate mentor University was a world renowned female polar biologist researching Antarctic krill. As Maggie’s sights looked to graduate school to study estuarine marine ecology, she was invited to be a member of DePaul’s Antarctic krill team and spent four months ‘on the ice’. Maggie would continue researching krill and living in Antarctica as part of her Master’s in Marine Science at University of North Carolina-Wilmington and as a Research Associate at University of California-Santa Barbara. After a hiatus from polar work to pursue informal science education in museums, Maggie returned to Antarctic research and now focuses on benthic ecology. With colleagues at the University of Alabama-Birmingham she investigates how chemical ecology shapes and controls the lush subtidal macroalgal forests of Antarctica and the effects of climate change, especially ocean acidification, on key members of those communities. As a side project she has delved into deep sea Antarctic biology investigating potentially invasive crabs. That work, coupled with her krill experience, lead to an invitation to serve on one of the first ever submersible explorations of Antarctica’s deep sea and which resulted in a documentary aired by National Geographic. To date Maggie has spent 101 months (over 8 years) in Antarctica aboard research vessels or at research stations. She has logged hundreds of polar scuba dives and totaled 33 hours in a submersible surveying down to 1000m in Antarctica’s frigid waters. When not ‘on the ice’ Maggie enjoys sharing the joys of science and Antarctica through various outreach activities, cycling, water sports, birding, cross country skiing and gardening. https://www.sisumentor.org/kim-bernard daily 0.75 2020-09-07 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f18685777c0112e940b5263/1599420821697-A90PY6H9A7XO6BPX6O8Q/image-asset.jpeg Kim Bernard - Dr. Kim bernard USA Associate Professor, Ocean Ecology & Biogeochemistry, Oregon State University Biography forthcoming. Please reference Dr. Bernard’s website in the meantime: www.krillseekerlab.com https://www.sisumentor.org/katy-williams daily 0.75 2020-09-03 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f18685777c0112e940b5263/1599093259910-FUUI5K787ISNWSWPIFRD/Katy+Williams.jpg Katy Williams - Dr. Katy Williams South africa Research and Conservation Director, Cape Leopard Trust Katy is a conservation biologist with a passion for carnivores and using creative approaches to stimulate conservation knowledge and positive action. She has over 10 years’ experience working with carnivores and mitigating human-wildlife conflict in southern Africa. From 2011 to 2016 Katy managed the Primate and Predator Project in South Africa while also completing an interdisciplinary PhD with Durham University (UK) focused on brown hyenas. Since then she has completed two postdoctoral researcher positions examining bycatch camera trap data of brown hyenas in partnership with Panthera. She has recently joined the Cape Leopard Trust team as the Research and Conservation Director and is based in the Western Cape, South Africa. https://www.sisumentor.org/caroline-park daily 0.75 2020-09-03 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f18685777c0112e940b5263/1599092189540-EKYNGNJ77U46IXZQ07N2/Caroline+Park.jpg Caroline Park - Caroline Park England Projects Coordinator, EDGE of Existence Caroline is the Projects Coordinator for the EDGE of Existence, a programme aimed at conserving the weird and wonderful species that represent unique branches in the tree of life. Before her role with EDGE Caroline lived in South Africa where she was involved in various wildlife conservation and research roles, as well as being a qualified field guide. In 2015 she set up a wildlife research base, allowing students from all over the world to conduct short term research projects that would make up part of a much bigger project on the wildlife ecology of the local area. Caroline has an MSc in Conservation Science from Imperial College London, during which she looked into the effectiveness of volunteer conservation projects. Further to this she has conducted research in Tanzania establishing the viability of wildlife corridors plus the use of butterflies as indicators of habitat degradation. She has also lived in Uganda and Venezuela, enjoying travelling to new places when she can. https://www.sisumentor.org/marine-drouilly daily 0.75 2020-09-09 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f18685777c0112e940b5263/1599678957092-UK33NUN5GOAQWKYCSMPW/Marine+Drouilly.JPG Marine Drouilly - DR. MARINE DROUILLY WEST AFRICA, SOUTH AFRICA, FRANCE Wildlife biologist and conservationist Marine studies human-wildlife interactions. She has over 10 years of experience working with carnivores and promoting coexistence between people and wildlife in Africa. She has also conducted fieldwork in North and South America, as well as in Europe. In 2018, Marine completed an interdisciplinary PhD with the Institute for Communities and Wildlife in Africa (iCWild) at the University of Cape Town on one of South Africa’s longest standing human-wildlife conflicts – predation of small-livestock by mesocarnivores in the Karoo. Marine seeks to better understand the complex interplay between ecological and social drivers on human-wildlife interactions. She develops decision-support documents such as national action plans and behaviour change campaigns to promote coexistence between people and wildlife. She is now the West and Central Africa regional coordinator for surveys and research for the international NGO Panthera. Her research focuses on leopards and other threatened or endangered species in the region. Her principal tools are camera traps! When she is not working for conservation, Marine loves exploring pristine landscapes, trail running and wildlife photography. She loves writing and meeting people from different cultures. https://www.sisumentor.org/megan-murgatroyd daily 0.75 2020-09-15 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f18685777c0112e940b5263/1600210822883-WWNQ9YI1AC3YRBDBBIND/Megan%252BMurgatroyd.jpg Megan Murgatroyd - Dr. Megan Murgatroyd South Africa Conservation Biologist Dr. Megan Murgatroyd is an international conservation biologist based in South Africa. Much of her work focuses on understanding and conserving Africa’s largest eagles. With a bachelor's in Conservation Biology from the University of the West of England, Megan went on to earn her Ph.D. from the University of Cape Town in 2016 for investigating the impacts of land-use change on Verreaux’s Eagles. Since then she has been using GPS tracking to understand and predict wind turbine collision risk for Verreaux’s Eagles in order to minimise the negative impacts of development on this species. Megan is also researching the causes of decline of Martial Eagles in the Kruger National Park by using monitoring and nest cameras, colour ringing of fledglings and GPS tracking. Megan works on our international programs through Africa and in her free time you will find her hiking on the mountains or out exploring on her bicycle. https://www.sisumentor.org/ceinwen-smith daily 0.75 2020-10-04 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f18685777c0112e940b5263/1600460156517-BDSMTNL4M685Q0YNFQLA/Ceinwen+Smith.jpg Ceinwen Smith - Ceinwen Smith South Africa Program Director and Freelance Researcher Ceinwen grew up exploring the wild lands and oceans of the South Peninsula in Cape Town, South Africa. Her passion and curiosity for exploring the natural world led her to pursue a BSc Honours in Environmental Science and Oceanography, at the University of Cape Town (UCT). During her studies she worked as an oceanographic researcher on two research voyages to Antarctica, collecting data towards her MSc in Physical Oceanography, and graduated from UCT in 2014. Over the past 10 years, her studies and work have included researching phytoplankton in the turbulent Southern Ocean, teaching and mentoring undergraduate students in the savannah bushveld of the Kruger National Park as part of the Organisation for Topical Studies semester abroad program, and exploring the biodiverse fynbos and rocky shore ecosystems which make Cape Town so unique. Ceinwen is currently the Program Director of Ingcungcu Sunbird Restoration which aims to reconnect plants, birds and people by planting indigenous fynbos gardens at schools to create stepping stone corridors for bird pollinators across the densely urbanized Cape Flats in Cape Town. Her current work focuses on the intersection of social and ecological systems within the context of urban conservation. She is passionate about creating platforms for science, education and socio-ecological restoration to interlink, facilitating hands-on learning experiences in nature for urban youth, and inspiring a deeper connection to and responsibility towards nature for our individual and collective well-being. https://www.sisumentor.org/meredith-semel daily 0.75 2020-09-18 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f18685777c0112e940b5263/1600458249910-PPI31B791WYPOJ3JUAJ9/20191210_091433.jpg Meredith Semel - Meredith Semel USA Doctoral Candidate and Outreach Center Director Meredith studies the impact of forest fragmentation and human encroachment on social/spatial behavior and stress physiology of Madagascar's lemurs. Her current study species, the golden-crowned sifaka, is a critically endangered lemur found only in a small corner of northeastern Madagascar. She uses a mix of habitat sampling, behavioral follows, fecal sampling, community education, and guide training programs to better understand the threats to sifaka and to collaborate with local stockholders and Malagasy NGOs to conserve them. She is also the director of a newly constructed outreach center in Daraina, Madagasar which focuses on connecting students and adults to local biodiversity, improving environmental education, and enhancing local involvement in conservation. Meredith also studies stress physiology of captive sifaka at the Duke Lemur Center in Durham, NC. By understanding the factors influencing both wild and captive lemur stress physiology, we can work towards successful conservation initiatives in Madagascar and proper husbandry in a zoological setting. Prior to beginning her PhD studies at Virginia Tech, Meredith also conducted field work in a range of mammalian taxa in South Africa, Madagascar, Thailand, and Costa Rica, but specializes in primate ecology. She also previously taught high school biology and has a passion for helping others foster a sense of wonder towards the natural world and a desire to protect the resources and species on Earth. Meredith also seeks out ways to improve equity and inclusion of women in STEM and conservation- especially involving Malagasy women in every step of conservation initiatives on Madagascar. https://www.sisumentor.org/cindy-elliser daily 0.75 2020-10-04 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f18685777c0112e940b5263/1601848483281-576RBO1PJRJQFSHH19EI/51615_Cindy+good+head+shot+cropped_1428.jpg Cindy Elliser - Dr. Cindy R. Elliser USA Pacific Mammal Research Director Cindy always wanted to work with marine mammals, even though much of her childhood was spent in the deserts of New Mexico. For college she left the desert and found her way to Florida receiving her B.S. (2000) and M.S. (2003) in Biological Sciences from Florida Atlantic University (FAU) and her Ph.D. in Integrative Biology from FAU in 2010. During that time she worked with Dr. Herzing and the Wild Dolphin Project studying Atlantic spotted and bottlenose dolphins in the Bahamas for 10 years. In 2014, looking for a change in scenery, Cindy moved about as far across the country as you can go to the Pacific Northwest. There she founded and is the Research Director of Pacific Mammal Research, a scientific research and education non-profit studying harbor porpoises and harbor seals, as well as an associate professor at Skagit Valley College. Cindy is most interested in learning about the social structure, behaviors and behavioral ecology of marine mammals, information that is critical to create biologically meaningful conservation measures. https://www.sisumentor.org/marion-mckenzie daily 0.75 2020-09-22 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f18685777c0112e940b5263/1600750083082-TFMGKN9HN1503E96NTB2/Marion+McKenzie.jpeg Marion McKenzie - Marion McKenzie USA Paleo-glaciology doctoral student Marion became interested in glacial geology and polar geosciences during her undergrad at Gettysburg College in Pennsylvania. There, she conducted work on paleo-glacial ice flow in Iceland and northern Pennsylvania as well as research on permafrost degradation in Alaska. She is now a PhD student in the Ice and Ocean Group at the University of Virginia studying paleoglaciology and ice sheet dynamics in the formerly glaciated Puget Lowland, Washington State. Her research includes a combination of field, laboratory, and computer-based analysis. Understanding the past of glacial systems is the key to predicting the future of contemporary glacial systems, which is why Marion is so interested in previously-glaciated landscapes! She serves on her department’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion committee as a graduate student representative. She hopes to contribute to removing barriers to academia and add to efforts to make academia a more welcoming and inclusive space so that scientists from all walks of life may be supported and see themselves represented. When not working on research or in the field, Marion enjoys running, hiking, painting, and spending time with her dog Evy! https://www.sisumentor.org/danielle-haulsee daily 0.75 2020-09-30 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f18685777c0112e940b5263/1601507513978-7SFTMRGADDLOMWM2HYBR/danielle+headshot+copy.jpg Danielle Haulsee - Dr. Danielle Haulsee USA Postdoctoral Researcher at Hopkins Marine Lab Danielle Haulsee's interests include combining innovative technology and oceanographic remote sensing techniques with the biogeography and movement of marine species. She received her B.S. in Environmental Science from Gettysburg College in 2010 and her Ph.D. from the University of Delaware in 2017. At the University of Delaware she worked as a Ph.D. student and post-doctoral researcher with Dr. Matthew Oliver in the ORB Lab, focusing her research on threatened Sand Tiger sharks and endangered Atlantic Sturgeon. She used statistical models to quantify the habitat preferences, migratory behavior, and social dynamics of these species of interest. She has joined the Crowder Lab to work on a project tagging and tracking billfish off the coast of Costa Rica, Project DynaMAR (www.projectdynamar.com). Danielle will combine billfish locations from satellite tags with remotely sensed and modeled oceanographic data to predict billfish distribution in a changing climate. https://www.sisumentor.org/stephanie-venables daily 0.75 2020-10-30 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f18685777c0112e940b5263/1604095119753-5XUGZXYBO75OONUUUWV2/Steph+Venables.jpg Stephanie Venables - Dr Stephanie Venables MOZAMBIQUE Senior Scientist, Marine Megafauna Foundation Stephanie is a marine ecologist and a passionate conservationist. She is a Senior Scientist with the Marine Megafauna Foundation based in southern Mozambique, where her research aims to gather vital ecological information to better understand threatened marine species, particularly sharks and rays. She works with a range of species from benthic-dwelling wedgefish to ocean-roaming manta rays and whale sharks, gathering information that can be used to guide effective conservation strategies to protect these vulnerable species. Stephanie’s work in research and conservation has taken her to far-flung places across the globe, working on remote islands and coastlines of Australia, Indonesia and Africa. She recently completed a PhD at the University of Western Australia, which focussed on the ecology and conservation of reef manta rays in southern Mozambique. She believes that people are the key to successful conservation and ensures that her work includes an element of outreach and education for local communities whose livelihoods depend on the marine environment. This includes teaching marine education to children and running workshops to inspire young scientists to become passionate investigators and guardians of local marine ecosystems. https://www.sisumentor.org/justine-hausheer daily 0.75 2020-11-03 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f18685777c0112e940b5263/1604428330819-83UMO8W6HPC90ZPD4SBX/Justine+Hausheer.jpg Justine Hausheer - Justine E. Hausheer AUStralia & USA Science Writer Justine E. Hausheer is an award-winning science writer for The Nature Conservancy's Cool Green Science publication, covering the research conducted by TNC’s scientists across the Asia Pacific region. Her favourite stories take her far beyond the reach of cell signal — into the mountains of Papua New Guinea, tiny Pacific islands, or logging concessions in Myanmar — to report on conservation science as its happening. When she’s stuck behind a desk, Justine also helps TNC’s scientists communicate their research more effectively through trainings in science communications & storytelling. Justine has a degree from Princeton University and a master’s in Science, Health, and Environmental Reporting from New York University. When not writing, you can find her reading a book, traipsing after birds, and exploring the wild places around her home in Brisbane, Australia. https://blog.nature.org/science/profiles/justine-e-hausheer/ http://www.justinehausheer.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/justinehausheer/ https://www.sisumentor.org/mentors daily 0.75 2021-01-31 https://www.sisumentor.org/science-storytelling daily 0.75 2020-10-22 https://www.sisumentor.org/laurel-serieys daily 0.75 2020-10-22 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f18685777c0112e940b5263/1603408806144-OLGTJAFXRUXPV2P0Y4RX/Laurel+E.K.+Serieys.JPG Laurel Serieys - Dr. Laurel E.K. Serieys Africa & USA Wildlife Biologist Laurel is a conservation biologist with a special interest in promoting the conservation of small wild cats through research and education. Her work spans three continents including North America, Africa, and Asia. Although her work has largely focused on wild cats, she has an interest in questions focused on wildlife spatial ecology, genetics, and ecotoxicology and immunology. For her PhD research through University of California, Los Angeles, she examined how common anticoagulant rat poisons and urbanization impact bobcat immune function. For her postdoctoral research, she founded and coordinated the Urban Caracal Project in Cape Town, South Africa. She also simultaneously managed a 2-year bobcat project in Santa Cruz, California, USA. Her data and expertise has played a pivotal role in increased regulation surrounding consumer access to toxic rat poisons in the State of California. She has mentored students in the United States, South Africa, and Sri Lanka and welcomes new opportunities to mentor individuals with like-interests anywhere in the world. For more information about Laurel's work, see her websites fwob.org and urbancaracal.org. https://www.sisumentor.org/allison-rogers daily 0.75 2020-11-02 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f18685777c0112e940b5263/1604094676413-A2DCBQZUFQ4JIFW3ZUQV/Allison+Rogers.jpg Allison Rogers - Allison Rogers USA Environmental Studies M.S. Student, University of Wisconsin - Madison Allison is interested in improving conservation and human-wildlife coexistence through solutions guided by behavioral and ecological research. She’s particularly passionate about resolving conflict occurring on densely populated edges of protected areas in East Africa. For her M.S. in Environmental Studies at University of Wisconsin - Madison, she is studying the success of elephant deterrence strategies on the border of Kibale National Park, Uganda with funding from National Geographic Society. She’s also working on her Swahili fluency as a Foreign Language & Area Studies Fellow. Prior to her current studies at UW-Madison, Allison studied the behavioral ecology of baboons in South Africa and blue monkeys in Kenya, and managed a chimpanzee research project in Tanzania. These roles influenced her shift to applied conservation research in East Africa. She holds a B.S. in Evolutionary Anthropology and Biology from Duke University, where she studied chimpanzee social relationships through an evolutionary lens. Her first semester Evolutionary Anthropology 101 class set her on this winding path through primate behavior and towards environmental studies. Allison credits growing up near California’s redwoods for her love of the outdoors, and is enjoying learning to bike, hike, camp, ski, and ice skate through Wisconsin's four seasons. As a member of the LGBT+ community, she hopes to provide support for greater LGBT+ representation and inclusivity in science. https://www.sisumentor.org/jennifer-sherry daily 0.75 2020-10-23 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f18685777c0112e940b5263/1603412018970-0PMDCUBVMC8I2JZR2DRM/Jenny+Sherry.jpeg Jennifer Sherry - Dr. Jennifer Sherry USA Environmental scientist and wildlife advocate As a broadly trained environmental scientist, Jenny has dedicated her career to exploring the complex relationships between human societies and the natural environment. In particular, she has explored the risks and conflicts that are born from these relationships, with a focus on sensitive mountain regions. She has conducted research in North America, South Asia, Northern Africa, and Australia. Her educational and work experiences have included designing decision support tools and frameworks for risk management; assessing the vulnerabilities and capacities of communities threatened by climate-exacerbated hazards; and conserving imperiled wildlife species. She is passionate about using her diverse background to make connections and identify innovative solutions to environmental issues across regions and disciplinary fields. In her current role as a Wildlife Advocate for the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), Jenny works to advance the conservation of large carnivores like wolves, bears, and mountain lions. She helps lead initiatives and coalitions that center on wildlife management and policy reform, human-wildlife conflict prevention, and landscape connectivity. She also participates in on-the-ground efforts to see solutions put into practice. Outside of work, Jenny enjoys rock climbing and mountaineering, riding horses, and foraging for wild foods. She also has endless enthusiasm for tracking and observing animals in the wild. https://www.sisumentor.org/podcast daily 0.75 2020-10-22 https://www.sisumentor.org/andrea-marshall daily 0.75 2020-10-23 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f18685777c0112e940b5263/1603482876135-YJYITL64IFD7EROJ0T0W/Manta+Queen+%28ScubaPro+Manta+Suit%29.jpg Andrea Marshall - Dr. Andrea Marshall Mozambique Principal Scientist, Marine Megafauna Foundation Educated in the United States and Australia, Andrea was the first person in the world to complete a PhD on manta rays. After completing her thesis in 2008, Andrea stayed on in Mozambique to spearhead the conservation efforts of this species along this remote coastline. Shortly after she, along with Dr. Simon Pierce, founded the Marine Megafauna Association, which grew into the now widely known Marine Megafauna Foundation, a 501c3 registered charity in the United States. Her passionate commitment to the eastern African coast has shaped her goals as a conservation biologist. Vowing to dedicate her life to the preservation and management of the manta ray population in southern Mozambique, Andrea continues to campaign for their protection and use her scientific background to formulate plans for their management. Learning to dive at a young age, Andrea was certified at the age of twelve. Thousands of dives later, Andrea is now one of the leading marine field biologists in southern Africa. During her 24-year dive career Andrea has travelled to the ends of the globe, from Brazil to Myanmar, as both a scientist, researching sharks and rays, and also as a professional underwater photographer. She has visited over 45 countries and, aside from the Arctic, she has dived in each of the world’s ocean. Almost a decade after her arrival in Africa, Andrea’s world-leading manta ray research program continues to examine aspects of their biology, reproductive ecology, habitat use, migrations and social behaviour. Aside from dramatically increasing the level of knowledge on manta rays themselves, Andrea’s discovery of a new giant species of manta ray in 2009 was one of the largest new species to have been described by any scientist in the last 50 years. Andrea’s interests largely lie within the field of scientific exploration. She considers herself a conservation biologist, and to that end her team’s research focuses predominately on questions related to the effective management and conservation of threatened marine animals. To answer these questions Andrea is often required to travel around the world on exploratory missions. On these missions her goals include: examining particular aspects of a species biology or behaviour, exploring new habitats or regions of biodiversity, or examining areas faced with particular conservation problems. As a passionate field researcher, Andrea has always been interested in using technology to push the limits of our knowledge. Over the years she has used everything from technical diving technology to specialized scientific equipment to explore the environments used by MMF’s flagship species. On expedition, this technology allows her to go deeper, spend longer periods of time, work in otherwise hazardous conditions and survey remote locations in an effort to gain a better understanding of an animal’s daily habits, a species’ biological constraints, or the threats that a particular population of animals might face. As principal scientist for the Marine Megafauna Foundation and scientific coordinator for WildMe, Andrea continues to travel the globe researching manta rays and fighting for their protection. Living in the field year-round keeps her close to her research subjects and in touch with their conservation needs. Through her “Ray of Hope” research expeditions, she travels from Ecuador to Indonesia each year, conducting ground-breaking research and monitoring MMF’s global manta ray programs. Back home in Mozambique, Andrea is still exploring the coastline of one of eastern Africa’s most un-dived coastlines. Since arriving to Mozambique in early 2003, Andrea has logged over a thousand dives in this region discovering new reefs and documenting rare marine life. Some of her extraordinary encounters with rare species such as the small-eyed stingray and the snaggletooth weasel shark have earned her publications in scientific journals and popular magazines alike. Armed with her camera and often accompanied by documentary crews, Andrea has introduced the world to a new frontier of African diving. From the BBC’s award-winning documentary “Queen of Mantas” to Ushuaia’s acclaimed 2010 production on this remote coastline, Andrea continues to use hard science and visually stunning media to capture the world’s attention and focus it towards conservation. Said best in her own words, “The oceans still have so much to offer us, so many secrets to reveal. I still marvel at how little we know about the natural world. This sense of the unknown should drive us... it should motivate us to dig deeper, learn more. Ultimately if we are to find a true balance with the planet, it will be through the respect and preservation of our oceans. As conservationists, we must not only continue to embrace research and exploration but inspire the public to take up arms with us. Now, more than at any other point in history, we have the distinct opportunity to become both the explorers and the ambassadors of this wondrous, liquid frontier.” https://www.sisumentor.org/mentors-1 daily 0.75 2020-10-22 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f18685777c0112e940b5263/1597442815051-WFY9UK39H8WBWK4EG1XT/antarctica%2Bheadshot%2B2017.jpg Mentors (With Photos) Dr. Tricia Thibodeau, USA RI C-AIM Postdoctoral Fellow & Plankton Ecologist https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f18685777c0112e940b5263/1600209616798-PZ4C3N7SRCR48V1IQD5B/Schuyler%2BNardelli.jpg Mentors (With Photos) Schuyler Nardelli, USA Plankton ecology doctoral student https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f18685777c0112e940b5263/1597357087454-58D31Q15ETAONMXZV3VO/KimberlyMiner_PowerPose-002.jpg Mentors (With Photos) Dr. Kimberley R. Miner, USA Climate Scientist and Assistant Professor https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f18685777c0112e940b5263/1600210457555-F9K1EUJ1XTSRCD69S2HK/20200914_155118.jpg Mentors (With Photos) NADINE HOLMES, PE Director of Research - Hoja Nueva https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f18685777c0112e940b5263/1599420939681-B4EOSLS236ZGBVWDA3W4/Kim%2BBernard.jpg Mentors (With Photos) DR. KIM BERNARD, USA Associate Professor, Ocean Ecology & Biogeochemistry https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f18685777c0112e940b5263/1599108328184-TLXR6UZA0RSDWPWM3VJ5/Jennie%2BMiller.jpg Mentors (With Photos) DR. JENNIE MILLER, USA Wildlife Ecologist and Conservation Scientist https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f18685777c0112e940b5263/1600750249028-CCVNJCFDYK2UZBU8Z9ZB/Marion%2BMcKenzie.jpg Mentors (With Photos) Marion McKenzie, USA Paleo-glaciology doctoral student https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f18685777c0112e940b5263/1600458376887-97V1B8TRTKN02O13IQ29/20191210_091433.jpg Mentors (With Photos) Meredith Semel, USA Doctoral Candidate and Outreach Center Director https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f18685777c0112e940b5263/1596999422788-K41717360C3I258ZNS24/DSC_0682.jpg Mentors (With Photos) Ceci Cerrilla, USA Conservation Biologist https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f18685777c0112e940b5263/1598573243744-3IHOUXV1YM7LQ3GTRIVD/Shannon%2BAllen%2BWhiles.jpg Mentors (With Photos) Shannon Allen Whiles, USA Immunology & Infectious Disease Doctoral Student https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f18685777c0112e940b5263/1598728528036-JB21AFI012L4MK2F56HR/BethanyAugliereSelfie.jpg Mentors (With Photos) Bethany Augliere, USA Marine biologist and Science Communicator https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f18685777c0112e940b5263/1599108252180-EGG2EVKLTU0GWPOU48ZC/Caroline%2BPark.jpg Mentors (With Photos) CAROLINE PARK, UK Conservation Projects Coordinator, EDGE https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f18685777c0112e940b5263/1597444230284-WYDMGYJ6ZSWB8K32NVRK/Alison%2BChang%2BHeadshot.jpg Mentors (With Photos) Alison Chang, USA Software Engineer at Google https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f18685777c0112e940b5263/1597690292421-9291PC8T1MMQXS78JEEC/Shawnee%2BHeadshot.jpg Mentors (With Photos) Shawnee Traylor, USA PhD student in chemical oceanography https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f18685777c0112e940b5263/1599107694045-FCBICZJU6WH5M9YMCASI/Maggie%2BAmsler.jpg Mentors (With Photos) Dr. Margaret Amsler, usa Polar Biologist https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f18685777c0112e940b5263/1597689536061-OYBCSOEML7WGBX4V2WWE/Leslie%2BPotts.jpg Mentors (With Photos) Dr. Leslie Potts, USA Eco-physiology Post-Doctoral Scholar https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f18685777c0112e940b5263/1598209946640-U7QKXIVQK63HZ8TXJ7LP/Briana%2BAbrahms%2BHeadshot.jpg Mentors (With Photos) Dr. Briana Abrahms, USA Wildlife Ecologist and Assistant Professor https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f18685777c0112e940b5263/1596999463201-P2EHATTICMBA2JM83O4B/SkyeMoret_PerpetualPlasticShot.jpg Mentors (With Photos) Skye Morét, USA Data-driven designer & marine scientist https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f18685777c0112e940b5263/1596999500244-R4XCDT2YHDVDE367LBKA/Marie%2BZahn.jpg Mentors (With Photos) Marie Zahn, USA Bioacoustics Master’s Student https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f18685777c0112e940b5263/1598307446632-MQSIEPZQEB3AZPKT481L/Courtney%2BCoon.jpg Mentors (With Photos) Dr. Courtney Coon, USA Lead Wildlife Biologist https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f18685777c0112e940b5263/1597606154264-K8PMG83ASGTSDYUDJ3SM/Kharis%2BHeadshot.jpg Mentors (With Photos) Kharis Schrage, USA Polar ecology doctoral student https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f18685777c0112e940b5263/1599678722180-1CE8GSUETQ7T5KVOAZPC/Marine%2BDrouilly.jpg Mentors (With Photos) DR. MARINE DROUILLY, AF & FR Wildlife biologist and conservationist https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f18685777c0112e940b5263/1599874593061-A6457DA32PSR86MGNK68/IMG_20180905_131503.jpg Mentors (With Photos) audra bass, usa Public Health Master’s Student https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f18685777c0112e940b5263/1597422546041-7CATFS9C0FVC5Q4QM8VQ/Steph%2BHeadshot.jpg Mentors (With Photos) Stephanie Sardelis, CA National Aquatic Invasive Species Advisor https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f18685777c0112e940b5263/1597603744750-1WIEWE9VCT1WMOU0HYIW/headshot2.jpg Mentors (With Photos) Rachel Tao, USA Epidemiology Master’s Student https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f18685777c0112e940b5263/1600210957342-ZRR77ZVA3A78FJ69ENVF/Megan%2BMurgatroyd.jpg Mentors (With Photos) DR. MEGAN MURGATROYD, SA Conservation Biologist https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f18685777c0112e940b5263/1601507615927-D1U0MBL75D1UOCZGXSKE/Danielle%2BHaulsee.jpg Mentors (With Photos) Dr. Danielle Haulsee, usa Postdoctoral Researcher at Hopkins Marine Lab https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f18685777c0112e940b5263/1597853922698-22SCGLMJWV5K44T1PL7D/Emily%2BSlesinger%2BHeadshot.jpg Mentors (With Photos) Emily Slesinger, USA Fisheries Doctoral Student https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f18685777c0112e940b5263/1599090342453-DL1UIFUWIU4S4GULBUIS/Katy%2BWilliams.jpg Mentors (With Photos) Dr. Katy Williams, SA Research and Conservation Director https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f18685777c0112e940b5263/1596999395506-NL6JT7RZO51KBJBXJO5H/IMG_1300.jpg Mentors (With Photos) Leigh West, USA Science Communication Master’s Student https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f18685777c0112e940b5263/1601848627312-MY8OYNL9H18M0UMMHKHW/Cindy%2BElliser.jpg Mentors (With Photos) Dr. Cindy R. Elliser, USA Pacific Mammal Research Director https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f18685777c0112e940b5263/1597422619016-9NATLSRKF1PC9STU07SJ/Kristen%2BSharpe.jpg Mentors (With Photos) Kristen Sharpe, USA Zooplankton Master’s Student https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f18685777c0112e940b5263/1600379815720-C4894209T64ZOBDCA8F0/sara%2Bbeery.jpg Mentors (With Photos) Sara Beery, USA Conservation Technologist and Computer Vision Researcher https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f18685777c0112e940b5263/1597367420523-E4VGRWCHSD9N2TBHTBDA/Daniela%2BRaik.jpg Mentors (With Photos) Dr. Daniela Raik, USA Executive Vice President of Field Programs https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f18685777c0112e940b5263/1597426518990-EF484FEMD5JB7WACDZMP/headshot2.jpg Mentors (With Photos) Dr. Emily Hollenbeck, CR Tropical Biologist https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f18685777c0112e940b5263/1599615429403-1L6F1ZLW5F6Q8WMBZA16/Emily%2BChou.jpg Mentors (With Photos) Emily Chou, usa Marina Mammal Research Assistant https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f18685777c0112e940b5263/1597357063976-QL323QOXM7B5DN2ZQHTP/Anna%2BKusler.jpg Mentors (With Photos) Anna Kusler, USA & ZA Cheetah Conservation Doctoral Researcher https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f18685777c0112e940b5263/1599678614207-J9N441F2LUBFEWV1IBQS/Justine%2BSmith.jpg Mentors (With Photos) Dr. justine smith, usa Assistant Professor, University of California Davis https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f18685777c0112e940b5263/1596999531152-O7LVQUAL9NK92JIWFY9L/BioPicture.jpg Mentors (With Photos) Carly Quisenberry, USA Science Technician and Station Manager https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f18685777c0112e940b5263/1600750293359-ZXPOIYLXHYUUIYCZJVRM/Ceinwen%2BSmith.jpg Mentors (With Photos) Ceinwen Smith, SA Program Director and Freelance Researcher https://www.sisumentor.org/shiraz-belblidia daily 0.75 2020-10-22 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f18685777c0112e940b5263/1603402551385-0W9CIQO6QIVVQQQN654Z/Shiraz.jpg Shiraz Belblidia - Shiraz Belblidia USA Biomedical Science Policy Master’s Student Shiraz is a masters student in Biomedical Science Policy and Advocacy within the Microbiology and Immunology department at Georgetown University. She currently serves as the founding president of the Georgetown chapter of the Next Generation Global Health Security Network. As an undergraduate at Barnard College she majored in biochemistry but was always fascinated by science's intersection with and impact on society. During her time as a research assistant both in academic labs (Barnard College, the Rockefeller University) and private industry (Xencor, an immuno-oncology biotech startup), she was struck by the necessity of scientists who were well-versed in policymaking. She hopes to use her knowledge and expertise to become a fierce advocate for scientific progress (especially within the context of global health) and its translation into real, meaningful, and actionable policy. On her days off of Zoom, she enjoys discovering new bike trails, listening to podcasts, and trying to improve her watercolor skills. https://www.sisumentor.org/steph-walden daily 0.75 2020-11-30 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f18685777c0112e940b5263/1606778718621-T15EL4LE9O988HP6EBBC/Steph+Walden+Headshot.JPG Steph Walden - Steph Walden USA Career Wildlife Field Technician / Baker Steph Walden grew up in the suburbs of Detroit but didn't stick around areas of high human population for long. She headed to the University of Alaska Fairbanks for a bachelor’s degree in Wildlife Biology. About a year into her studies, she began putting the pieces together that such a degree would probably lead to a job spent sitting at a desk while analyzing data, writing reports, and sending other lucky souls into the field. Preferring to spend as much time outside as possible and live in the middle of nowhere while studying wildlife, Steph created an interdisciplinary degree called Nature Photojournalism, which is a combination of Wildlife Biology, Natural Resources Management, and Photojournalism courses. Armed with an adequate selection of science courses and a DSLR camera, Steph started the life of a career seasonal wildlife field technician. Research positions carried her from the top of Alaska to an island in Antarctica, from a private island in New Zealand to an oil camp in Alberta, and to places in-between. Most research has been on various bird species, but she's also had the chance to work with fur seals, leopard seals, and wildlife scat detection dogs. Two months of volunteering in the Bolivian jungle gave her experience caring for rescued wildlife. When Steph is not collecting quality data and baking in field camp, she enjoys world travel (surprise!), backpacking/hiking, running, reading, cooking, baking, cycling, petting puppies, and stressing over Michigan State football and basketball. “Home” has consisted of a storage unit, bike, and a friend's couch for 9 years. https://www.sisumentor.org/joleen-broadfield daily 0.75 2020-11-23 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f18685777c0112e940b5263/1606013160090-B18APTH93LNI56FEBY1Y/JoleenBroadfield_Profil.JPG Joleen Broadfield - Joleen Broadfield South Africa, France Conservationist, Panthera After travelling in Europe and Oceania, she settled in South Africa where she left the tourism industry to take an unconventional, unacademic, path back to her first passion : conservation. She participated in different projects researching factors contributing to human-wildlife conflict, particularly with respect to meso and large carnivores. First as a field assistant in a study testing non-lethal predator-human conflict mitigation measures in Namaqualand, South Africa, she learnt valuable field skills, targeting leopard (Panthera pardus), black-backed jackal (Canis mesomelas) and caracal (Caracal caracal). She then joined the Urban Caracal Project where she grew as the project field team manager, honing her trapping skills for a study evaluating the influence of urbanization on the movement ecology and population genetics of caracals (Caracal caracal) within a biodiversity hotspot, the Cape Peninsula, South Africa. Finally she joined Panthera’s Leopard Program in 2017, monitoring biological camera trap surveys within South Africa as well as assisting with the data processing. Again pushing herself out of her comfort zone, she became an integral part of Panthera’s Integrated Conservation Program, diving in the crux of data science. Today she has find the perfect match, joining her learnings from the Data Science Program to a interest of hers : Small Cats. She is now a Data Scientist at Panthera’s Small Cats Program, managing data for no less than 33 species from studies all around the global. After 10 years in South Africa, she just recently moved to the French Alps, where she can be found rock climbing or trail running on her spare time, that is when she isn’t tracking some red fox tracks or observing royal eagles. https://www.sisumentor.org/alex-dutcher daily 0.75 2021-01-31 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f18685777c0112e940b5263/1612123732207-SJNJZGACVR50SEEE1V0R/Alex+Dutcher.jpg Alex Dutcher - Alex Dutcher USA Lead Biologist & Co-owner, Hallux Ecosystem Restoration LLC Alex is a co-owner and founder of Hallux Ecosystem Restoration LLC, a company conducting invasive species management and research in Hawai'i. She manages and directs a variety of predator control projects which focus on protecting threatened and endangered seabird species in the remote rainforests, valleys, and sea cliffs of Kaua'i. In addition to project management, she and her collaborators conduct research on invasive species movement ecology, genetics, and impacts on native species. Her professional background is in wildlife trapping for conservation, specifically large carnivores and invasive mammalian species both in the Midwest and Hawai'i. Alex earned a BS in Wildlife Biology and Management from Michigan State University. Post graduation, she worked on a variety of wildlife research projects, with an emphasis on large mammal tracking and genetics, and recently aided Polar Oceans Research Group for a season of Antarctic seabird monitoring. In her free time, Alex runs whatever local races she can find, skates on the local roller derby team, and enjoys diving to search for sea slugs and other marine invertebrates. https://www.sisumentor.org/capacity-building daily 0.75 2021-08-20