Paulina Rojas

Paulina is a PhD candidate in Ecology at the UC Davis Water Management Lab. She has experience working in forest and riparian restoration, research, and environmental policy. Her research examines how we interact with, value, and manage natural resources, particularly freshwater systems. She is interested in understanding how riparian ecosystems function and how external forces, such as policy, governance, culture, and power, influence their management. Her work aims to support more ecologically conscious water use, improve the health of degraded rivers, and promote sustainable, community-driven development. She is particularly interested in how the Functional Flow framework can better support both ecosystem resilience and the priorities of Indigenous and rural communities, often poorly represented in the decision-making process. She also holds an MSc. in International Agricultural Development (UC Davis), and is a Forester Engineer from Universidad Austral de Chile.