Elena Kelly
Ecology Wildlife Foundation Scholarship Recipient (2023/2024)
Elena is a senior in Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology Program with a concentration in conservation biology and minors in Forest Management and Creative Writing. She will graduate in May 2024. Outside of classes, she is involved in the University Honors program, Leopold Wildlife Club, and Herpetology Club, and loves to read, write, and spend time outdoors in her free time. Elena has worked as a park aide for Wake County Parks, Recreation, and Open Space, studied abroad in the Czech Republic studying sustainable natural resource use, and interned at the Bald Head Island Conservancy working on a variety of barrier island ecology projects. She is currently interning with the NCSU Office of Sustainability working on a Campus Tree Trail project. After graduating, Elena plans to enter the conservation biology field and take technician positions so she can work on wildlife projects across the country. She is especially interested in working on an amphibian project. She hopes to eventually work for the National Park Service. A personal goal of hers is to thru-hike the Appalachian Trail. This scholarship will help Elena further work towards her collegiate and career goals by allowing her to gain more experience and take new opportunities both during her final year at NC State and as she prepares to enter the job field post-graduation. The assistance with tuition and fees will enable her to turn more of her attention to additional experiential learning opportunities and activities such as Herpetology Club road cruising trips and working towards her Associate Wildlife Biologist certification through The Wildlife Society.
Ecology Wildlife Foundation Scholarship Recipient (2023/2024)
Elena is a senior in Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology Program with a concentration in conservation biology and minors in Forest Management and Creative Writing. She will graduate in May 2024. Outside of classes, she is involved in the University Honors program, Leopold Wildlife Club, and Herpetology Club, and loves to read, write, and spend time outdoors in her free time. Elena has worked as a park aide for Wake County Parks, Recreation, and Open Space, studied abroad in the Czech Republic studying sustainable natural resource use, and interned at the Bald Head Island Conservancy working on a variety of barrier island ecology projects. She is currently interning with the NCSU Office of Sustainability working on a Campus Tree Trail project. After graduating, Elena plans to enter the conservation biology field and take technician positions so she can work on wildlife projects across the country. She is especially interested in working on an amphibian project. She hopes to eventually work for the National Park Service. A personal goal of hers is to thru-hike the Appalachian Trail. This scholarship will help Elena further work towards her collegiate and career goals by allowing her to gain more experience and take new opportunities both during her final year at NC State and as she prepares to enter the job field post-graduation. The assistance with tuition and fees will enable her to turn more of her attention to additional experiential learning opportunities and activities such as Herpetology Club road cruising trips and working towards her Associate Wildlife Biologist certification through The Wildlife Society.
Jess Maier
Ecology Wildlife Foundation Scholarship Recipient (2023/2024)
Jess is a junior in Fisheries, Wildlife and Conservation Biology Program, with an Environmental
Education minor. She is interested in how urbanization impacts human wildlife interactions and
hopes to work at an Urban Wildlife Refuge this summer to gain experience in the topic. She is
currently a member of the Doris Duke Conservation Scholars program where she spent the last
summer conducting research on canopy gaps in the Southern Appalachians. She is also President
of Leopold Wildlife Club and enjoys getting to connect students with opportunities related to
wildlife. Additionally, being a TA for dendrology class has shown her a love for environmental
education. She hopes to relate environmental outreach and education into urban areas in order to
educate the public on human wildlife conflicts. The Ecology Wildlife Scholarship will contribute
to her trip to Ecuador for a Tropical Wildlife Ecology course and allow her to view wildlife on a
more global scale.
Ecology Wildlife Foundation Scholarship Recipient (2023/2024)
Jess is a junior in Fisheries, Wildlife and Conservation Biology Program, with an Environmental
Education minor. She is interested in how urbanization impacts human wildlife interactions and
hopes to work at an Urban Wildlife Refuge this summer to gain experience in the topic. She is
currently a member of the Doris Duke Conservation Scholars program where she spent the last
summer conducting research on canopy gaps in the Southern Appalachians. She is also President
of Leopold Wildlife Club and enjoys getting to connect students with opportunities related to
wildlife. Additionally, being a TA for dendrology class has shown her a love for environmental
education. She hopes to relate environmental outreach and education into urban areas in order to
educate the public on human wildlife conflicts. The Ecology Wildlife Scholarship will contribute
to her trip to Ecuador for a Tropical Wildlife Ecology course and allow her to view wildlife on a
more global scale.
Ecology Wildlife Foundation Fellowship
I am excited to announce the first recipient of the Ecology Wildlife Foundation Fellowship, Ana Sapp. Ana began her master's in Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology at NCSU in January 2023. For more information about Ana's background and research interests, please visit Mali Lab tab.
The Ecology Wildlife Foundation Fellowship is awarded to a graduate student (Master's or PhD) with strong academic background and passion for work in the realm of wildlife conservation, especially students interested in understanding the effects of urbanization, river flow alterations, and/or climate change on reptiles and amphibians of North Carolina.