IAN-UMCES graduate student Vanessa Vargas-Nguyen was at the National Socio-environmental Synthesis Center (SESYNC) January 16-19 2018 for the kick-off meeting of the SESYNC Graduate Student Pursuit project titled "Moving beyond random acts of restoration to robust adaptive resilience: a case comparison between the U.S. and Canadian coasts of Lake Erie." Vanessa is teaming up with fellow PhD students Meghan Klasic (University of California, Davis), Rachel Lamb (University of Maryland, College Park), Bereket Negasi Isaac (University of Waterloo), Kelsey Leonard (McMaster University), and Kelly Siman (University of Akron). Their interdisciplinary team aims to address the complex multi- and often mismatched-scales between governing institutions and ecological systems in Western Lake Erie. The team also aims to help develop effective resilience programs that integrate ecological and societal concerns.