Katherine Ennis, a student in the division's Envornmental Studies department received the David Gaines Award in Environmental Science for 2015.
Congratulations Katherine!
Department: Environmental Studies
What Scholarship did you receive?
David Gaines Award in Environmental Studies
What year are you (1st year, 3rd year)? 3rd year
Where do you call home? Virginia
With all of the choices for college, what made UC Santa Cruz stand out?
The Environmental Studies Department and the research of Dr. Stacy Philpott. The ENVS Department as a whole and Dr. Philpott specifically, are well known and respected for research in agroecology.
What is your field of focus?
I study ecological communities and interactions in agriculture and the impact of these interactions to the farm production and farmer livelihoods. My research questions aim to improve our understanding of insect communities and interactions as they relate to their agri-environments and ecosystem services. I also study the conservation potential of ecological communities and their interactions of various agricultural management practices.
What do you hope to do once you graduate from UC Santa Cruz?
I’d like to continue to do research in agriculture systems answering both basic and applied ecological questions.
What is one memorable moment that stands out for you as a student here?
Rather than one memorable moment, what stands out for me in the continuing and growing interest in agroecological research both among graduate and undergraduate students. Students at UC Santa Cruz are very aware of the critical importance of agroecological research for food production, food sovereignty and biodiversity conservation.
How will this scholarship impact your academics/research?
The David Gaines Award will provide me with necessary funds to begin the proposed research on the historical effects of rainfall variability on coffee production and price.
