Daniel Hastings

Name:  Daniel Hastings

College:  Graduate

Department:  Environmental Studies

What Award/ Scholarship did you receive?  The Hammett Fellowship in the Environmental Studies Department

What year do you expect to graduate? 2022

Where do you call home?  Pelham, New York

With all of the choices for college, what made UC Santa Cruz stand out?  A strong interdisclipinary environmental studies program with a collegial and impressive faculty

What is your field of focus?  Plant physiological ecology

What do you hope to do once you graduate from UC Santa Cruz?  I hope to be a professor.

What is one memorable moment that stands out for you as a student here?  Teaching students about plant water potential in the plant physiological ecology class. I really enjoy sharing my love of plants with students.

What is your one piece of advice for incoming students about life at UC Santa Cruz?  Get to know your cohort and build bonds with students in other years. These are the people who can help you get through the hardest parts of grad school.

How will this scholarship impact your academic life /research?  This award will make the completion of my research goals possible by funding the purchase of additional soil moisture sensors and dataloggers. These pieces of equipment will save me months of time and increase the quality of data significantly. I am so grateful to have received this award.