Engaging the Baltimore community at the Lakeland Fall Festival
Veronica Malabanan Lucchese, a 2nd-year PhD student in the IAN program, and Isabella Molatore, a 1st-year master's student in the MEES program, recently participated in the Lakeland Fall Festival. This community event provided a unique platform for them to connect with the local community and share their scientific knowledge. Engaging with festival-goers, they enjoyed a day filled with cultural exploration and educational activities for children. The duo witnessed a vibrant Mexican dance performance, learned about the diverse cultures within Lakeland, and spent time coloring with the enthusiastic kids in attendance. Beyond the festivities, this experience offered an invaluable opportunity to understand the priorities of the Baltimore community. Overall, the Lakeland Fall Festival proved to be a delightful and enlightening occasion for Veronica and Isabella to bridge the gap between academia and the broader community.
MEES Colloquium 2024: Uniting Scholars, Fostering Collaboration
Veronica Malabanan Lucchese, a 2nd year Ph.D. student and NOAA-LMRCSC Fellow II at IAN, presented at the Spring 2024 MEES Colloquium. The Colloquium was held at the Hyatt Place Kent Narrows & Marina in Grasonville, Maryland on Friday, March 22 through Saturday, March 23. This event was hosted by the University of Maryland Eastern Shore, the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science, and the MEES Graduate Program. There were two panels (main & career), a poster session, and student lightning talks. Veronica presented a lightning talk on "Tackling Inequality in the Patuxent River Watershed Using Social Network Analysis" based on her dissertation research. Students and faculty enjoyed a day of sharing research, networking, team building, and yummy food. The Colloquium offers a unique opportunity for the MEES community to come together and learn about each other's work. The next MEES Colloquium will be held in Fall 2024.
Higher Education Climate Action Plan
The Higher Ed Climate Action Plan Launch by the Aspen Institute took place on August 1st at Thurgood Marshall Hall, College Park. Dr. Bill Dennison, Dr. Vanessa Vargas-Nguyen, and Veronica Malabanan Lucchese from the IAN team attended. Dr. Vargas-Nguyen presented on the 2023/2024 Chesapeake Bay and Watershed Report Card's new findings and narratives. Veronica, a 3rd-year PhD student and NOAA-LMRCSC Fellow II, presented on her Baltimore angling community research. Her work with the Environmental Justice Journalism Initiative (EJJI) and the Reel Rewards Invasive Fish Bounty Program, pays anglers $30 for each invasive fish they remove from Baltimore's Middle Branch Harbor. Additionally, anglers are compensated $10 for completing surveys that help EJJI researchers better understand community needs in the face of invasive species take-over and climate change.
Highlighting UMCES Science at the American Fisheries Society Conference
Veronica Malabanan Lucchese, 3rd year PhD student and NOAA-LMRCSC fellow at IAN, recently attended the AFS Annual Meeting held at the Honolulu Convention Center, HI, from September 15-19. During the conference, she presented her research titled "Tackling Inequality in the Potomac River Watershed Using Social Network Analysis" in the session on "Co-production of Integrated Ecosystem-Based Science for Management Decision." Additionally, she played a key role in facilitating the "Offshore Wind, Fish, and Fisheries - Emerging Knowledge and Applications" session, collaborating with her NOAA-LMRCSC counterparts and industry leaders. Throughout the event, the discussions highlighted critical food and environmental injustices faced by local and Hawaiian communities, specifically rebuilding historic fish ponds. This experience further fueled Veronica's passion for advocating for underrepresented groups, aiming to enhance their inclusion in management processes and empower them in shaping their environmental futures.