From Tropical Rainforests to Arid Deserts: My Journey from Costa Rica to Utah's Water Challenges and the Impact of the NRWD Fellowship

I started my PhD in Watershed Sciences at Utah State University in August 2022 focusing on water management for environmental and human demands, something I have always had a special interest in. Before moving to Utah for my PhD, I spent 10 years in Costa Rica working on community water management projects. I worked closely with communities and water managers helping them improve the water services they provide in their localities. The change from studying systems in the tropics, where water is abundant, to the western US, where was is limiting, has been a fascinating journey. Even though environmental conditions can be dramatically different from one place to another, I have found somethings are still the same: there are people who care about how they use water and are willing to contribute to preserve this vital resource. 

I applied to the Natural Resources Workforce Development (NRWD) fellowship searching for an opportunity to broaden my experience in social engagement, since my previous experience helped me understand how important is to link science with societal partners. This fellowship has provided a space for the fellows to conduct engaged research by developing a project. Working collectively as a group in our cohort has helped me understand that science projects can achieve more when they are nurtured from various backgrounds and expertise. I have learned from other fellows expertise, and it has been a very positive experience working together with them. I have learned a lot about decision making as a team and improved my writing and speaking skills in my second language, English. Some challenges have occurred, as with any group of people working together, like time management and products expected. However, I think this cohort has learned some valuable skills when working as a team. We have learned to delegate and assign tasks efficiently, naturally joined “sub-teams” to complete objectives, and we have come together to agree on the goals we want to achieve to create a final product that we hope has a positive impact for our project partners. Working with teammates from different scientific backgrounds has given me a broader understanding of environmental and social characteristics in the western US. A single person effort could not achieve what this project aims to accomplish as a group. The results we can gain from this experience, not only as a final product creation but as a whole, are without a doubt product of team science collaboration. 

I would like to continue studying water systems in the western US and this fellowship has given me a broader understanding of how natural and water resources shape human and environmental dynamics in this region. I have not only learned more about science, but I have built a network I envision collaborating with in the future. I am grateful for how much I have learned about the western US environmental conditions thanks to this fellowship, and I recommend this experience to any grad student searching to develop leadership, communication and teamwork skills through a co-produced research experience.