Congratulating the 2021 Cohort
Scholars from the 2021 Cohort completed conservation internships across the country this past year with 18 host organizations spanning academia, nonprofits, and government agencies. Next month we will gather for a final professional workshop before they officially become alumni.
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An evolving first summer - now with more UCSC!
This past summer we added a week-long stop at UC Berkeley, hosted by the Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management and welcomed three new incredible guest faculty: Dr. Nia Morales, Dr. Andrea Romero, and Dr. Chris Schell. Other firsts included visiting Hastings Reserve and final projects on the UCSC campus. In 2023 we are looking forward to doing even more in Central California with five weeks based on UCSC campus with greater opportunities for guests, collaboration, and a wide range of Scholar-led research projects.
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We are always looking to bring guests into the first-summer program! Get in touch - if summers are packed, there are other ways to engage with the program as advisors and more - just reach out.
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Upcoming Events
- Ecological Society of America meeting in Portland (August 2023) - Join Erika, Dan, Abe, and many 2019 & 2020 Scholars
- San Francisco Bay Area Scholar get-together in February 2023. Email Abe for details
- DDCSP Homecoming is in the works for September 2023 in upstate NY
- Alums and supporters can volunteer to host virtual events and regional in-person gatherings. Funding is also available via the DDCSP Network. Since Fall, Scholars have met up in Guam, Puerto Rico, Boston, Reno, Los Angeles, and Philadelphia!
Scholars have been meeting up all over! (left to right, top to bottom: Scholars @ SACNAS NDiSTEM Conference, DDCSP and Smith Fellows @ NACCB, Guam Scholar meetup with May and North Carolina 2017 Scholar meetup)
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Follow us year-round
Follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn, and Instagram! On Twitter, you can follow all of our scholars using this list. On LinkedIn, you can connect with alumni and current scholars.
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Annette Ludwig (2016) represented the Federated States of Micronesia at the Youth4Climate Powering Action event supported by the UN Development Program coinciding with the 77th Session of the United Nations General Assembly. Last year she attended Youth4Climate's Driving Ambition event in Milan, Italy, addressing ministers attending PreCOP26.
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Ivanna Caspeta (2018) researches columnar cacti physiology at the Desert Botanical Garden and Arizona State University. Her work focuses on xylem anatomy, stem morphology and water-use strategies of giant cactus native to the Sonoran Desert.
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Cameron Oglesby (2019) published a feature article in The Nation on Black land loss and reclamation in Eastern North Carolina and the American South. The story of Piney Woods highlights Black landownership, Black prosperity, and Black joy in this country
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Cristobal Castaneda (2020) is a bird banding apprentice at the Palomarin Field Station with Point Blue continuing over 50 years of data collection on bird populations. Go visit him at the station sometime this winter!
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Kellie Navarro (2020), Kyle Dahilig (2021) & Jonothan Kwong (2021) were awarded selective Udall Scholarships, joining just 55 students recognized for their leadership, public service, and commitment to issues related to American Indian nations or to the environment.
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Justin Cummings (Former Director, Advisor) was elected to the Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors! As mayor, he led the city of Santa Cruz through COVID, wildfires, and a social justice reckoning by bringing people together to get things done. We are so excited about this next chapter.
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Melissa Cronin (Former Graduate Mentor) was awarded the prestigious Smith Fellowship from the Society of Conservation Biology to continue her important work on reducing marine bycatch at Duke University. She also launched Field Futures to scale her work on reducing sexual assault and harassment in field science.
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Final Thoughts
Thank you for being a part of this community whether as an alum or program supporter. If this was forwarded to you, make sure to subscribe, and check out past newsletters to stay updated on our Scholars and upcoming events.
With our warm wishes,
Dr. Abraham Borker,
Program Director
Prof. Dan Hernández,
Faculty Mentor
Prof. Erika Zavaleta,
Faculty Director
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