An Afternoon with SEEDS
Students and staff from Earth Grant, SEEDS, and the Diana Liverman Scholars programs share some conversation and tasty tacos.
Q: What’s better than one program that supports diverse students in developing as environmental professionals?
A: THREE programs that support diverse students in their development as environmental professionals, gathered together on a late fall afternoon in Tucson, having a picnic!
Last Friday, Earth Grant students were honored to share some local Tucson cuisine (tacos and aguas frescas, of course!) outside on the grass with students from the Diana Liverman Scholars program and visiting students from the national network SEEDS.
SEEDS (Strategies for Ecology Education, Diversity and Sustainability) is a network of diverse environmental college students from across the country, coordinated by the Ecological Society of America. SEEDS students have opportunities throughout the year to take field trips related to hands-on ecology applications, interact with diverse ecology professionals, and gain deeper understanding of potential career paths. In coordination with Arizona Institutes for Resilient Environments and Societies, SEEDS students and coordinators gathered at ENR2 for several days for their annual meeting, as well as took field trips to Tumamoc Hill and Mt. Lemmon.
SEEDS students meet in small groups with University of Arizona graduate students, for intimate conversations about the grad school experience.
Following our picnic, SEEDS students met with five University of Arizona graduate students, including two 2021-22 Earth Grant alumni, Madison Goforth and Katerina Sacoman, for small group discussions about pursuing graduate school. Madison is currently a second year master’s degree in Microbiology, studying the melon microbiome for different types of melons grown in several locations across the US. Katerina is a first year master’s student in Natural Resources, studying the Santa Cruz river ecological communities, with the ultimate career goals of continuing to do field work and influencing policy.