Jennifer is a recent graduate of Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. She studied Environmental Management & Protection and minored in Biology with a strong focus on Wildlife Conservation and in Land Rehabilitation & Restoration Ecology. She is someone who has always been interested in the way our natural world works and operates and loves to explore the interactions between species and their ever-changing environments.
Jennifer is a first-generation, low-income, and queer Chinese-American scientist from Monterey Park, California. She is constantly exploring aspects of her identity and the way that she exists within academia and our big, wide, miraculous world. Jennifer believes that there is a space for people of all backgrounds to learn and grow in whichever field they wish to pursue. Due to this belief, she is always striving to create safe spaces for others in herself and in the programs she’s a part of. Projects she’s worked on in the past includes research in avian biodiversity, soil carbon levels & plant diversity, and environmental justice issues.
Recently, she completed a field season in Western North Carolina working as a Crew Leader for a Bear Management Boundary Marking Crew. There, she worked with the Wildlife Resources Commission and witnessed the beauty of a Southern spring. She is looking to apply to graduate school as a PhD student in Ecology and hopes to conduct research in marine ecosystems. During her free time, Jennifer likes to go camping, create art, swim, write poems, and keep a detailed journal (currently on Volume 18!). She is beyond excited to join the CDLS community as a new Fellow and hopes to collaborate with others on some passion projects!