Meet the Scientist Series: Alexandra Fries

Hi all! My name is Alexandra Fries and I’m the Program Manager at IAN. My background is in Marine Biology, Ecosystem Science, and Conservation. At this point I feel like I’ve lived 100 lives. I’ve processed antioxidant pigment from hog lagoon waste with HPLC machines and I’ve evaluated coal tar effects on developing fish embryos. I’ve analyzed cephalopod population data and collected frogs deformed by pesticides. Before coming to IAN, I worked for Conservation International on management of marine protected areas. At IAN, I started working as a science communicator and transitioned to senior science communicator, project manager, and now program manager. I’ve done layout and design, created symbols, developed games, taught courses, analyzed data, written papers, and managed some fascinating projects. Of the 23 years IAN has existed, I have been with the group for 14 of them! My experiences at IAN have been incredible. I’ve been able to do and learn so much and to travel to amazing places. Some of my favorite places have been the Orinoco River in Colombia, Saipan in the Commonwealth for the Northern Mariana Islands, Guanabara Bay in Brazil, and the Luangwa River in Zambia. What brings me back to this work and keeps me excited about it are the opportunities for real positive change using science and effective communication practices with local stakeholders and communities.

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