Students
Graduate Students
Bianca Santos (she/her) is a PhD candidate in the Emmett Interdisciplinary Program in Environment and Resources. Her research focuses on the adaptive management of marine biodiversity in the Pacific from global to local scales. Utilizing both natural and social science tools, she applies interdisciplinary methods from the fields of marine science, ocean governance and policy, and environmental decision-making. Current areas of active research include: (1) The future of ocean governance in the high seas, (2) Climate-driven habitat shifts of migratory species and implications for fisheries management, and (3) Socio-ecological impacts of climate change on small scale fisheries in Palau. Prior to Stanford, Bianca served as a 2018 Sea Grant Knauss Fellow in NOAA Research’s Office of International Activities. She earned an M.S. in Marine Science from the Virginia Institute of Marine Science and a B.S. with Honors in Marine Vertebrate Biology from Stony Brook University.
Christopher Knight (he/him) is a Biology PhD student, a Stanford Interdisciplinary Graduate Fellow, and a National Geographic Explorer. His research interests include employing a planetary health approach to understand the linkages between environmental and human health. He investigates the social and ecological connections of ciguatera in Kiribati in collaboration with the Kiribati Government and the Pacific Planetary Health Initiative. As a US Fulbright Fellow in Italy, he explores how climate change impacts the nutritional content of seafood and the consequences for human health. Chris was an NSF Graduate Research Fellow, a Fulbright Fellow to Chile, and earned a MS in Biology from San Diego State University, as well as a BA in both Ecology and Spanish from the University of California, Davis. Chris is co-advised by Dr. Fiorenza Micheli.
Safari Fang (she/her) is a Ph.D. candidate in the Emmett Interdisciplinary Program in Environment and Resources (E-IPER) and a RAISE fellow. Her current research is focused on aquaculture and fisheries, food security, and community-based marine conservation. Throughout her research, she has engaged diverse stakeholders in the global food system and fostered collaborations among sectors for the sustainable use of ocean resources. Before coming to Stanford, Safari received an M.S. in Coastal Science and Policy from UC Santa Cruz and a B.A. in Environmental Studies and Biology from Beloit College. She is an alumna of the Blue Pioneers Program, a leadership development program for ocean conservationists from Asia.
Taylor Souza (she/her) is a PhD Candidate in the Biology Program looking at the impacts of rising ocean temperatures on herbivorous coral reef fish behavior and response. She is currently co-advised by Jacob Johansen at the University of Hawaii and is working in collaboration with the Johansen Fish Resilience Lab conducting her work in her hometown of Kane'ohe, Hawaii. She is extremely passionate about conducting science that serves Native Hawaiians and the broader Hawaii community. Prior to Stanford, she worked at NOAA Pacific Islands Fisheries Center delineating Large Marine Ecosystems in the Pacific Islands Region. She received her B.S. from Linfield University in ENVS/Biology and competed in NCAA Collegiate Volleyball.
Catherine Lee Hing (she/her) is a PhD student in Stanford's Emmett Interdisciplinary Program in Environment and Resources (E-IPER). She is a recipient of the EDGE fellowship and is also a Dean's Graduate Scholar. She earned her undergraduate degree from Boston University, followed by master's degrees from Webster Graduate School London and the University of Exeter. Catherine's interest lies in the fusion of marine conservation and marine policy, with a specific focus on promoting sustainable livelihoods in Caribbean coastal communities. She employs advanced remote sensing techniques to inform marine policies, addressing environmental challenges and fostering resilience in coastal ecosystems.
Sydney Hampton (she/her) is a PhD student in the Oceans department and a current NSF Graduate Research Fellow. She is also a recipient of the EDGE Fellowship and a Dean’s Graduate Scholar. Sydney is interested in using an interdisciplinary approach to explore the biophysical interactions of marine migratory species with their environment, and their responses to ecological and anthropogenic stressors. She is particularly interested in using what we know about various environmental variables and large-scale climate events to further predict and understand changes to the migratory patterns of marine species. Sydney is also passionate about environmental justice and hopes to incorporate community-engaged research into her work, bridging the gap between impact and action within vulnerable communities. Sydney earned a dual B.S. in Marine Science and Experimental Psychology from the University of South Carolina with Honors from the South Carolina Honors College.
Marina Luccioni (she/her) is PhD student in the Biology Department and an NSF Graduate Research Fellow. She works on projects that interface knowledge from local, indigenous and western academic sources and collaborates with communities in Hawaiʻi and in the Mediterranean to develop programs for stewarding bio-culturally important marine species including Goatfish, Moi and Cuttlefish. She also researches human and environmental health, specifically how organisms come to contain and accumulate neurotoxins, and the ways their molecules interact with human neural function to produce altered mental states. Marina holds a B.S.H in Human Biology and Honors in the Arts from Stanford University and her PhD is co-advised by Lauren O’Connell and under mentorship of Uncle Mac Poepoe and Kēhau Springer as part of the Nā Kai ‘Ewalu stewardship collective. She is a screening committee member for the International Ocean Film Festival and makes films about human-environment relations, often involving dance. Personal website
Jillian Lyles (they/them) is a Ph.D. candidate in the Emmett Interdisciplinary Program in Environment and Resources (E-IPER) and an EDGE Fellow. At the intersection of Black ecologies and ocean humanities, Jillian is interested in historical and contemporary ocean-based relationships and ecological knowledge held by Afro-descendant communities. Specifically, Jillian investigates the impacts of colonization, climate change, and ocean degradation on the livelihoods of Afro-descendant communities in America and examines the role that community-based resource management plays in combating inequities faced by Afro-descendant communities in marine and environmental decision making. Jillian earned their bachelor’s degree from Cornell University in Science of Earth Systems with a double minor in Marine Biology and Natural Resource Management, and a master’s degree from the University of Washington’s School of Marine and Environmental Affairs.
Quinn Mitsuko Parker (she/her) is a PhD student in the Oceans Department,an EDGE Fellow, and is co-advised by Krish Seetah. Quinn uses an interdisciplinary approach to study the governance of small-scale fisheries and marine conservation initiatives, with a focus on how they affect community well-being. She is particularly interested in how these complex social-ecological systems have been shaped--by cultural, socio-economic, and historical drivers--and in turn how governance can be improved to support community and ecological well-being. Prior to beginning her PhD, Quinn worked for multiple years in sustainable development and community-based conservation in Anosy, Madagascar, where she intends to return for her doctoral research. She has also worked in community outreach and marine conservation in Newfoundland, Canada, and remains committed to community-engaged research that generates equitable solutions through collaboration and partnerships. She holds an MSc in Conservation from University College London and a BA in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology from Princeton University.
Maggie Poulos (she/her) is a PhD student in the Emmett Interdisciplinary Program in Environment and Resources (E-IPER). Lying at the intersection of marine socioecology and adaptive ocean governance, she is drawn to the puzzle of how to capture an intangible value or worldview for marine protected area management. Maggie studies how biocultural approaches, including indicator development, are mechanisms for the inclusion of localized social and cultural values in marine planning. Through a co-production of knowledge framework and participatory field research tools, Maggie aims to co-create applied research that makes marine policy a more diverse and equitable space for local and Indigenous communities. Before her time at Stanford, Maggie earned a Master of Public Policy from Duke University and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and International Studies from Macalester College. She is co-advised by Krish Seetah. Outside of her studies, Maggie enjoys making ceramics, reading narrative nonfiction, and visiting family and friends on the East Coast.
Former Stanford Graduate Students
- Elena M. Finkbeiner, PhD Biology 2014
- Cassandra M. Brooks, PhD EIPER 2017
- Julia G. Mason, PhD Biology 2019
- Tim H. Frawley, PhD Biology 2019
- Kristen Green, PhD EIPER 2021
- Alana Springer, PhD Anthropology 2021
- Hannah Blondin, PhD Biology 2022
- Rachel Carlson, PhD EIPER 2022
- Will Oestreich, PhD Biology 2022
- Josheena Naggea, PhD EIPER 2022
- Francisca Santana, PhD EIPER 2022
- Shannon Swanson, PhD EIPER 2022
- Jose Urteaga, PhD EIPER 2022
- Sabrina Devereaux, JD-MS EIPER 2023
- Kristina Hounchell, PhD Biology 2023
