SW CASC NRWD Fellow Selected for ESA Graduate Student Policy Award!

April 10, 2023
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Elijah Catalan - ESA Graduate Student Policy Award

Current SW CASC Natural Resource Workforce Development Fellow (NRWD), Elijah Catalan, was recently named a 2023 Katherine S. McCarter Graduate Student Policy Award recipient from the Ecological Society of America. This honor is awarded to a cohort of graduate students each year and provides training in public policy, communications, and the federal budget and appropriations process. They also have the opportunity to meet with congressional policy and decision-makers on Capitol Hill. 

Elijah is a PhD student at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) in the Institute of Environment and Sustainability. He is currently studying genomic-based biodiversity monitoring and biogeochemistry to better understand how restoration and conservation efforts impact coastal systems. He is also involved in environmental justice work with the Center for Diverse Leadership in Science at UCLA. Prior to his graduate studies, Elijah majored in biology and environmental studies at Howard University. 

After completing his graduate studies, Elijah plans to pursue a research-based career where he can help protect and empower communities disproportionately impacted by environmental conditions and underrepresented in the field of environmental science. His goal is to advance environmental justice and decolonise scientific research.

Congratulations to Elijah from the SW CASC on this incredible award!