2023 Incoming Grad Series: Miranda Scalzo

THE STORY

I grew up in Reno, Nevada and in the Lake Tahoe area. I moved to Washington to attend Seattle University (my parents strongly suggested that I leave Reno lol) I
obtained my BA in Environmental Studies/ Ecological Systems and a minor in Spanish. Part of my undergraduate education was completed in Spain, where I studied and lived abroad in Granada. This fall I will be entering the Bren School's Master of Environmental Science and Management program. I intend to specialize in Coastal Resources Management as well as Conservation Planning. I will also pursue a focus in Strategic Environmental Communication and Media.

Growing up in the Reno/Tahoe area shaped me into the environmentally passionate person I am. My younger years were spent walking in the high desert and
Sierra Nevada range, swimming in Lake Tahoe, and listening to the songs of the coyotes. I left my first home after high school to attend college not knowing that Seattle would became my new home for the next 15 years. I spent my time experiencing the beauty of the Pacific Northwest through camping, swimming, backpacking, and day trips around the state. The last 4.5 years I spent working with the Washington chapter of the Nature Conservancy (TNC) as an Executive Assistant to the State Director and the Director of Philanthropy. I also acted as the project manager for the Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities working group. I recently left this position to pursue my Master's and join Bren. Working with TNC was incredibly impactful. The skills and experiences I gained through my job prompted me to pursue my career dreams and apply to UCSB.

WHY UCSB

I chose UCSB and more specifically the Bren School because of the interdisciplinary curriculum, and emphasis on the intersection of policy, science, and social factors in environmental science. The multitude of specializations also drew me to the program as this will provide the opportunity to personalize my studies. In addition the incredible faculty and the collaborative research at Bren led me to choose UCSB. The UCSB campus and its location may have also been a factor.

RESEARCH INTERESTS

My research interests revolve around marine protected areas, habitat restoration, and the role kelp forests and seagrass meadows can play as natural climate
solutions. After I graduate I want to help expand marine protected areas, thereby contributing to the protection of 1/3 of the world's ocean by 2030. At UCSB I will also
continue my learning journey in collaborating with Tribal Nations and Indigenous Peoples. I am interested in how I can respectfully integrate Indigenous science and
western science to innovate marine conservation and advance equitable conservation.

FUN FACTS

In college I had the incredible opportunity to travel and study abroad three times. In my freshman year I traveled to Costa Rica to carry out the lab portion of a biology class. The lab focused on rainforest ecology and biodiversity. Costa Rica has an abundance of wildlife and I was lucky enough to see many animals including a baby sloth! In my next year I participated in a service-learning research project in Nicaragua. This consisted of reforestation and water management activities, as well as field work studying the livelihoods and environmental perspectives of Nicaraguan farmers. We partnered with a local NGO on work in small, rural communities where I conducted field interviews with the local women. I spent time with them in their kitchens while I interviewed them and they taught me to make tortillas. I applied my findings to a final report on project sustainability for the NGO. As a senior I participated in an environmental study abroad and language immersion program in Granada, Spain. I spent six months in Europe experiencing the cultures of southern Spain, seeing the
ecosystems of Andalusia and traveling with my Norwegian roommate to Morocco and Italy. It was an eye-opening cultural experience.