Meet Our Team
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Melissa Cronin, PhD
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, CO-FOUNDER
Melissa is a marine fisheries ecologist and conservation scientist. She has worked to increase equity and inclusion in STEM for over four years, and co-founded the Building a Better Fieldwork Future Program at University of California, Santa Cruz. She is currently a Smith Conservation Research Fellow in the Coasts and Commons Co-Lab at Duke University.
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Erika Zavaleta, PhD
CHIEF STRATEGIST, CO-FOUNDER
Erika is a professor in the Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Department at the University of California at Santa Cruz. She and her research group study the drivers and consequences of changing biological diversity and the role of ecology in guiding effective conservation practice. She directs the Doris Duke Conservation Scholars Program and the CAMINO (Center to Advance Mentored, Inquiry-based Opportunities) at UCSC.
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Allison Payne
DIRECTOR OF FACILITATION
Allison is a FieldFutures facilitator and PhD student in the Beltran Lab at the University of California, Santa Cruz, where she studies elephant seals. She is passionate about safe fieldwork for all scientists and has facilitated and supervised dozens of workshops for lab groups, agencies, and nonprofit organizations.
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Kathryn Hart
PROJECT COORDINATOR
Kathryn is an early career professional with interests in social equity, ecology, conservation, and food systems. She is a budding field researcher, land steward, and community educator with varied experiences at universities and non-profit organizations. She is an alum of the Doris Duke Conservation Scholars Program at UCSC and the Indiana University- Bloomington O’Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs.
ADVISORY BOARD
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Roxanne Beltran, PhD
Assistant Professor, Ecology & Evolutionary Biology
UC Santa Cruz
www.roxannebeltran.weebly.com
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Justin Cummings, PhD
Founding Director, Doris Duke Conservation Scholars Program @ UCSC
Co-Founder and Associate Director of the UCSC CITRIS Initiative
Santa Cruz County Supervisor
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Megan S. Jones, PhD
Assistant Professor, Department of Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation Sciences
Oregon State University
www.megansjones.com
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Abraham Borker, PhD
Assistant Teaching Professor, Ecology & Evolutionary Biology
UC Santa Cruz
Program Director, Doris Duke Conservation Scholars Program @ UCSC