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Track: Inspire Session
Track: Career Track
Zakiya Leggett
North Carolina State University
Raleigh, NC, USA
Jeremy Strickland
Education and Community Outreach
Openlands
Shih-Huai Cheng
Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, IL, USA
SEEDS (Strategies for Ecology Education, Development and Sustainability) was founded in 1996 as a collaborative effort aimed at increasing the number of Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC) in the field of ecology. It was originally established as a partnership between the Ecological Society of America (ESA) and the United Negro College Fund (UNCF). The co-founders were Dr. Alan Berkowitz (the ESA VP of Education and Human Resources) and Dan Durrett (UNCF) and the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation provided the initial funding for the program.
The mission of SEEDS is to “diversify and advance the profession of ecology by promoting opportunities that stimulate and nurture the interest of underrepresented students.” This session will include SEEDS alumni from various years of the program. They will share their stories on how the SEEDS program has impacted their journey to their current career and personal accomplishments.
Presenting Author: Alexandra E. Sutton Lawrence – Ocean Conservancy
Presenting Author: Jorge Ramos – Jasper Ridge Biological Preserve, Stanford University
Presenting Author: Anjali Boyd – Duke
Presenting Author: Natalia B. Lopez Figueroa – College of Marine Science, University of South Florida