Current Fellows

The institute could not be more proud of the Fellows that it supports!

These students are actively working toward a better future, born leaders and creative thinkers, crafting new ideas, filling in data gaps, motivating others, and conducting cutting edge research and other creative activities. We are proud to support their undergraduate journey here at Kent State University.

Meet The Fellows

Zain Alkadi

Architecture

Hobbies: cooking, stamp collecting, drawing and painting, and photography

Research interests: sustainability and historical building preservation

Niah Cohen

Environmental and Conservation Biology

Hobbies: foraging, rock climbing, hiking and backpacking, reading, and mushroom cultivation

Research interests: wetland ecology, mushroom identification, microbiology, conservation, and arbuscular mycorrhizae interactions

Katie DeChant

Biochemistry; minor in Psychology

Hobbies: reading, yoga, and drawing

Research interests: biogeochemistry, wetland chemistry, and environmental chemistry

Anna Green

Zoology; minor in Geology

Hobbies: coaching and playing soccer, hiking, volunteering for the campus food pantry, baking, crafting, and hanging out with my dogs

Research interests: remote sensing, planetary geology, hydrology, aquatic science, harmful algal blooms, and acid mine drainage

Finn Machuga

Environmental Studies & International Studies

Hobbies: being outdoors, hiking, reading, maps/world geography, and cooking

Research interests: intersection of environmental justice and conservation science, sustainable international development, and sustainable food systems

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Helen McLellen

Fashion Design; minors in Accessories and Textiles

Hobbies: crocheting, knitting, plants

Research interests: sustainable design, limited water use in fashion production, environmental justice

Jackson Miller

Environmental Studies; minors in Conservation Biology and Geographic Information Systems

Hobbies: hiking, gardening, and reading

Research interests: water quality, conservation, and bat, insect, and wetland ecology

Rominy Moss

Environmental Studies; minors in Biology for Environmental Management and Conservation & Environment, Peace, and Justice

Hobbies: climbing/bouldering, hiking, sewing, oil painting, reading, and learning to cook

Research interests: sustainable agriculture (agroforestry, agroecology), social ecology, and post-disruption sociology and ecology

Amber Murzda

Environmental Studies; minor in Paleontology

Hobbies: ice hockey, hiking, kayaking, glass blowing, and sports

Research interests: forestry, bat conservation, and wildlife and natural resource management

Rita Pierce

Plant Biology

Hobbies: crocheting, gym, reading, and hiking

Research interests: plant pathology, rewilding, native plants, and urban gardening

Aciano Rosales

Environmental and Conservation Biology; minor in Geographic Information Systems

Hobbies: video games and social & environmental justice

Research interests: remote sensing, non-invasive observation methods, and soil remediation utilizing mycorrhizal and microbial relations

Lauren Sigrist

Environmental and Conservation Biology with a concentration in Conservation Biology; minor in Environmental Studies

Hobbies: going to concerts & listening to music, horseback riding, hiking, kayaking, and snorkeling

Research interests: endangered and threatened species and integrating technologies for biological surveys (ex. camera trapping, thermal drone imaging)

Tanzila Rahman Simi

Environmental and Conservation Biology

Hobbies: traveling, cooking, and hiking

Research interests: ecology and conservation biology, especially with a focus on real world applications

Isabel Traska