About Us

PRESIDENT

Hannah is an Environmental Sciences PhD student at the University of Virginia, where she studies salt marsh photosynthesis and carbon cycling. Her research aims to inform science policy related to coastal community resilience and natural carbon sinks.

PRESIDENT

Trisha is a postdoctoral fellow at Duke University. Her work is aimed at identifying how prenatal exposure to toxins alters brain development, with the goal of better understanding how environment contributes to neurodevelopmental disorders. Trisha is passionate about science communication and contributing to science-based policy solutions that protect the environment and human health.

TEAM WATER QUALITY LEAD

Daniel Smith, PhD, is a Postdoctoral Associate at Virginia Tech studying the use of nature-based solutions to protect soil and engineered systems from excessive erosion and degradation. He hopes his research will shape future design protocols and legislation that protect our infrastructure while being less reliant on toxic/polluting materials.

TEAM CANDY DARTER CO-LEAD

Ashley is a graduate student at the Virginia Institute of Marine Science, William & Mary where she studies microplastic pollution. Her aim is to reduce the impacts of pollution to the environment and to inform science-based policy and decision making.

TEAM CANDY CARTER CO-LEAD

Isaac is a PhD candidate in biology at Virginia Tech where he looks at the effects of urbanization on native songbirds. Increasing the availability of science to inform policy that protects both the environment and people is core to his outreach goals.

TEAM ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE CO-LEAD

Curtis is an environmental engineering PhD student at the University of Virginia, where his research focuses on life cycle assessments of low-carbon biofuels and decarbonization policy in Virginia. His goal is to help Virginia work towards state-wide decarbonization through integrating energy technology and natural solutions in an equitable manner.

TEAM RESERVOIR EMISSIONS LEAD

Stephanie is a PhD student at the University of Alabama with a research focus on aquatic and community ecology. She uses statistical modeling to tackle questions about how aquatic communities respond to human activities.

TEAM COMMUNICATION CO-LEAD

Gabrielle graduated with a B.S. in Engineering Physics from William & Mary in 2021 and currently serves as an Engineering Operations manager with Whisker Labs, Inc. With a love for both math and myth, Gabrielle believes storytelling is a cornerstone of successful scientific practice, and she hopes to inform and inspire community members with accessible and engaging translations of V-SCI's technical research.

TEAM COMMUNICATION CO-LEAD

Jane is a PhD candidate at Virginia Commonwealth University. Her research interests revolve around the maintenance of biodiversity in human managed landscapes and focuses on gene flow in heterogeneous environments. With VSCI she is working to make science accessible for policy makers, advocates, and community members.

TEAM ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE CO-LEAD

Emily is an MS graduate student in chemistry at Virginia Tech. She is an analytical chemist with experience testing and characterizing polymer materials. Her projects focus on optimizing polymer membranes for different applications, such as hydrogen fuel cell technology and the quantification of dissolved metals in water.