HISPANIC ACCESS FOUNDATION - Key Persons

Abigail is a recent college graduate from the University of Texas at El Paso, where she earned a BS in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology. As an undergrad student, she had the opportunity to research native bees in the El Paso region and volunteered in the Climate Change Soil Lab at UTEP. Throughout her undergrad career she worked as a community college tutor, and became passionate about making education accessible. She also held a leadership position for the Environmental Advocates UTEP SEEDS chapter, a national program of the Ecological Society of America, dedicated to provide mentorship to underrepresented students in ecology. As a leader, she helped develop career workshops, sustainability projects and science literacy outreach. Through SEEDS, she was awarded participation in The Henry L. Gholz National Field Trips to the White Mountains of New Hampshire at the Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest and to the W.K Kellogg Biological Station in Hickory Corners, Michigan, where she gained field experience and met other undergraduates from the all over the nation to discuss social, political and environmental issues in today's world. Abigail now plans on completing her fellowship with the San Luis National Wildlife Refuge to serve the public in wildlife and natural resource education. On her free time, Abigail enjoys playing Mario Kart competitively, hiking and camping, stargazing, playing guitar and reading fiction novels.

My name is Brittany, and I recently graduated from the University of Washington and earned my degree in Wildlife Conservation. I'm from Texas and I'm excited to explore all the beautiful nature of Colorado. I love hiking and encountering any kind of wildlife on my adventures. I'm thrilled to begin my career in the outdoors with the opportunity at ElDorado Canyon State Park!

Christine Rodriguez is from Miami, Florida and graduated at the University of Florida with a degree in Sociology and minors in Sustainability Studies and Agriculture and Natural Resource Ethics and Policies. As an undergrad, she worked as a field technician on a bee lab studying pollination behavior with blueberries and other flora for conservation efforts. After graduating she worked with the Florida utility company, Florida Power and Light as a consulting arborist to manage vegetation and utility equipment through field work and customer service. She is interested in natural resource management and wildlife protection in forest ecology. Outside of her work, she likes to hang out with her cat, play video games, and do embroidery.

Cody Tiffany is originally from Alturas, California but has spent the last seven years as an Army Geospatial Engineer. Currently pursuing a degree in Civil Engineering, Cody is passionate about geospatial technology and plans to expand his knowledge by pursuing a degree in Geographic Information Systems. He's now starting a role as a GIS Infrastructure Data Resource Assistant, combining his military background with his educational pursuits. Outside of work and school, Cody enjoys fishing and coaching wrestling. He is also a loving husband and proud father of two children, finding a balance between his family life and professional aspirations.

My name is Jocelyn Marquez and I grew up in a Texas bordertown where agriculture was a dominant commercial enterprise. This led me to become passionate about nature-based solutions and environmental health. I graduated with a Master's degree in biology from The George Washington University where I conducted research on the impact of climate change on ecological interactions, particularly focusing on the biocontrol agents found in organic farms in Virginia. I am excited to continue my work with climate change ecology as an Integrated Natural Resource Management Plan Climate Fellow with the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service. In my free time, I enjoy Latin dancing, cooking and hiking!

Job Titles:

• Project Manager for Proyecto ALTA

Megan Gaitan is a first-generation college graduate from Stockton, California. Megan's passion for ecology and the environment formed during her undergraduate studies at Sonoma State University (SSU) where she participated in research assessing impacts of mammalian herbivores on plant communities at Point Reyes National Seashore. After graduating, Megan worked on a forest census in Costa Rica where she also collected data on the photosynthetic responses of trees to changes in temperature. She fell in love with this work and returned to SSU to pursue her MS in Biology where her thesis focused on understanding long-term shifts in tree community composition. As a professional, Megan has worked as a Project Manager for Proyecto ALTA in the Área de Conservación Guanacaste, Costa Rica, and as a Research Specialist for the Central Arizona-Phoenix Long-Term Ecological Research program at Arizona State University (ASU). While working at ASU, she earned a GIS certificate to complement her background in ecology. Now, as a GIS Specialist with the U.S. Forest Service and MANO Project, Megan plans to use her GIS skills to contribute to the management and conservation of forest ecosystems. In her spare time, Megan enjoys playing sports, listening to music, traveling, and spending time with friends.

Sharika is from Chicago, Illinois and graduated from the University of Michigan - Ann Arbor with degrees in International Studies and Environmental Studies: Aquatic Ecosystems and Restoration. She has worked as a field technician in diverse areas of the conservation field, including fisheries biology, horticulture research, and restoration ecology. She has a special interest in plants, ethnobotany, and ecosystem restoration.