Samniqueka Halsey
Pod
Coordinator Samniqueka Halsey is a 4th year doctoral candidate at UIUC in the Program of Ecology, Evolution & Conservation Biology. Her research involves using computational modeling to understand the role wildlife hosts play in the spread of Lyme disease. She obtained her Bachelor's and Master's degrees in Biology from Northeastern Illinois University and Chicago State University, respectively. Sam is dedicated to outreach, serving as the outreach coordinator for STEMFem, and GEEB (Graduates in Ecology, Evolutionary Biology), UIUC student organizations. She has lead several outreach events for elementary aged children aimed to increase science engagement. For more info visit: SamniquekaHalsey.com or follow her on Twitter @Samniqueka_H |
Sophia Winkler-Schor
Co-Pod
Coordinator Sophia Winkler-Schor is visiting scholar at UIUC in the van Riper Lab. She is doing a master’s in International Nature Conservation at the University of Göttingen, Germany. During her undergraduate studies at the University of Washington, Sophia worked in an ecosystems management lab where her research explored land-use and land cover change in the Peruvian Amazon. However, she realized that to improve conservation efficacy it is imperative to understand human behavior. This led her to conservation psychology. Sophia's thesis research delves into understanding different values-orientations and how those influence park-user behavior at Denali National Park. For more information, check out her website, Sophiawinklerschor.com or follow her on Twitter @ScientistSophia |
Dana Johnson
Communications &
Social Officer Dana Johnson is an undergraduate student in Natural Resources and Environmental Science with background in the social and natural sciences. Through her studies and professional experience, she has grown passionate about bridging the gap between the social and natural sciences to support successful management plans. She firmly believes it is necessary to look at conservation and restoration through the scope of social-ecological systems. Understanding human behavior is integral to that process. Navigating people’s attitudes and values provides efficient and equitable policy change as well as stronger human-nature relationships. Beyond these topics, Dana has an interest in GIS and it’s applications for resource management and value mapping. Follow her on Twitter @Johnson_dn |
