Meet the talented students who are involved in this program this year. Based on informal surveys, approximately 41% of the former participants in this program go on to teach in classes, become involved in other informal education programs, museum studies, join other science outreach programs, start their own outreach program, start educational programs or camps, or other otherwise become involved in other aspects of science education. This is a training opportunity for STEM teachers of the future!
Laura Attarian
Laura Attarian is a senior majoring in evolutionary biology & entomology. She was born and raised in Brazil, home to the world’s most significant biodiversity! She has fostered a passion for wildlife and organismal biology, which inspired her to pursue a career in wildlife biology. She is currently involved in the spider lab researching arachnid sociality. She’s also working on a project that deals with crocodilian vocalizations.
Cami Armendariz
Cami Armendariz is passionate about environmental science, education, and socio-economic studies. As an aspiring environmental journalist and storyteller, she loves to showcase her work through multimedia projects and informative narratives in which she has been fortunate to collaborate with the National Parks Service. As climate risk management is complex and requires a considerable collaborative effort from different backgrounds for transparent risk analysis and communication, she wants to engage with local communities so they can better comprehend the ecological processes that affect their daily lives, increasing the quality of science communication and outreach to the general public.
Naomi Boyd
Naomi Boyd (they/she) is a junior studying Biological Sciences in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. They are from Chatham, New Jersey, and have spent many hours outside as a kid exploring the local flora and fauna. They are primarily interested in animal behavior and ecology, and have conducted research at the Brookhaven National Laboratory in Long Island, NY. In addition to research, they are also interested in using art to share science. They enjoy creating art, photography, videos, music, and dancing during their free time.
Kelsey Burrows
Kelsey Burrows grew up in New Jersey with a house full of animals, from dogs to bunnies to birds to lizards. She is passionate about animal behavior and wildlife conservation. This past summer, she researched at the Jacksonville Zoo’s Wellness Division, where she worked on recolonizing wolf populations in the Sierra Nevadas with Cornell’s Lab of Ornithology.
Emily Cavanaugh
*Emily Cavanaugh is junior studying Entomology with a minor in science communication. She grew up in New York City, where she gained a love for bugs, nature, and outreach from working at the Central Park Zoo! She’s primarily interested in arthropod conservation and behavioral ecology. In my free time, she really enjoy hiking, reading, and listening to music!
Savanah Chiodi
Savanah Chiodi is a Junior studying Biological Sciences with a concentration in Ecology and the Environment in CALS. She’s from a small town in Northern New York called Sackets Harbor, and has been involved with science fairs and outreach programs since elementary school. She has always been interested in and deeply passionate about wildlife and conservation. This last summer, she worked at a veterinary clinic alongside excellent veterinarians and technicians who taught her an immense amount about veterinary science, wildlife, and conservation. Combining these things, she wants to pursue a career in Wildlife Veterinary Science.
Noah Courtney
Noah Courtney is a biology student at Cornell University. Growing up in Bel Air, Maryland, he always loved the water and the things that live there! After serving in the US Coast Guard, he found my passion for the puzzle that science presents. He began to study biology and took a big jump into the icy waters of Sitka, Alaska, to become a certified Scientific Diver and explore kelp forests in the Northwest Pacific. While his research currently focuses on how biology is taught and learned at the college level, he loves the opportunity to talk about the importance of learning science– and share fun underwater stories along the way!
Amaya Garnenez
Amaya grew up on the Navajo Reservation in rural New Mexico. Growing up on a farm has influenced her passion for the environment and sustainability. Although her educational path isn’t linear, she aspires to continue higher education in Chemistry and Chemical Biology in hopes of obtaining her Ph.D. and starting her own STEM curriculum in education systems on the Navajo reservation. Before accomplishing her bigger goals, she wants to research sustainable chemistry to reduce plastic pollution in oceans and land.
Ella Kellner
Ella Kellner is an entomology major interested in insect mating behaviors and reproduction, specifically in flies (Diptera) and beetles (Coleoptera). She is also interested in fungi and how they interact with insects. She grew up in Maryland looking for insects in my backyard and never stopped! In her free time, she loves taking walks, exploring local woods and trails, listening to music, and listening to her favorite podcasts.
Kyle La Spisa
Kyle La Spisa is a Junior studying Chemical Ecology. He grew up in Montana, where he spent his time hiking and camping, and developed a passionate interest in nature and ecosystems. In high school, he worked on an independent research project at Brookhaven National Laboratory on heavy metal concentrations in spider chelicerae, searching for local heavy metal contamination. This project sparked his interest in spiders, and he steadily expanded my fields of interest after coming to Cornell. His ideal job after graduating would be to work in academia, and his absolute dream would be to become a professor with his own lab.
Brendan Lan
Brendan Lan is a junior entomology major interested in the behavior of spiders and other related arachnids. His love for arthropods began when he was in kindergarten, which kept rhinoceros beetles as pets. During his time in college, he has researched various arachnids, and hopes to continue to work on them in graduate school. He gave a dozen presentations to classrooms from kindergarteners to 7th graders. He loves sharing his passion for these misunderstood creatures. 🙂
Kurtay Ozuner
Kurtay Ozuner is a Senior majoring in the Biological Sciences with a Neurobiology concentration and a minor in Business. He has a particular interest in neuroscience and Traumatic Brain Injuries. Additionally, he’s on the premedical track. Outside academics, he loves running, playing soccer, and hanging out with friends.
Corey Reese
*Corey Reese is a senior entomology major studying how to use insect chemistry to help crop production through further research and education. He works with a wide range of insects throughout his research, ranging from bees to small millipedes; however, ants are his favorite. Outside of research, she enjoys playing squash, soccer, spikeball, and running.
Caroline Ryan
Caroline is a Biology and Society major at Cornell. She enjoys learning about human anatomy and the brain and exploring how our well-being is tied to the mind-body connection. She’s taught science for three summers and is so excited to continue to do so this semester. You can find her designing costumes and performing in musicals when she’s not studying human biology!
Bailey Guy
Bailey is a senior at Cornell’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences studying animal science. A self-proclaimed “dog person from birth,” domestic dogs are Bailey’s primary species of interest. She works in a lab at Cornell’s College of Veterinary Medicine studying canine bleeding disorders and has previously participated in shelter dog behavioral research. Bailey will attend vet school after graduation and hopes to practice small animal medicine.
Jada Wade
Jada Wade is an animal science major with an applied animal biology concentration. Specifically, she grew up in the heart of New York City, Harlem. She spent most of her days outdoors as a kid and had numerous pets over the years, from which her love for nature and wildlife stems. She hopes to become a wildlife conservationist who travels worldwide, rehabilitating and restoring animals and nature alike.
Talli Weiss
Talli Weiss is a junior from New York City designing her own major based on my passion for biology, ecology, and biotechnology. She is also minoring in science communications. She is currently researching bumblebee pollen collection patterns, and her past projects have included looking at the microbiome of honey collected from various locations around New York City to determine what environmental factors are impacting the ecosystem. Her love of science stems from watching Mythbusters and Bill Nye the Science Guy growing up and being inspired by science fiction, such as Star Trek. She became interested in environmental science by exploring National Parks with my family. She enjoys learning about astronomy, reading, and listening to Taylor Swift in her free time.
Eryn Woernley
Eryn is a senior student majoring in Environment and Sustainability, with a concentration in evolutionary biology and ecology. Having grown up in the Ithaca area, she spent a significant amount of time at the Lab of Ornithology, where she developed a deep admiration for the local wildlife, particularly the native birds. Her passion for birds has expanded over the years, leading her to become a falconer and a dedicated bird watcher. Currently, she is engaged in research projects focused on the Black-throated Blue Warblers of New Hampshire and the Superb Lyrebirds of Australia. In addition to her research, Eryn is working at the Cornell Museum of Vertebrates, where she is involved in specimen preparation. She is enthusiastic about continuing her journey in the field of ornithology and is eager to discover the incredible opportunities that lie ahead.