Jessica (J.A.) Beaudette
Anthropology of Religion PhD Program
Jessica (J.A.) Beaudette is a doctoral student in the School of History, Philosophy, and Religious Studies at ASU. She also served as Research Associate at ASU’s Center for Biodiversity Outcomes. Her academic research examines the role of local and indigenous cultural values in community-based conservation programs in central and southern Africa. She is also interested in the emergence of contemplative practices (mindfulness) in scientific and everyday communities as they respond to ecological challenges. Prior to studying at ASU, Jessica earned a BA in Philosophy (ethics), an MA in Comparative Theology with an emphasis in contemplative traditions and ecology. She also completed graduate studies in African religions at the University of Cape Town, and conducted biodiversity conservation fieldwork in Southern Africa. Jessica serves on the board of the International Society for the Study of Religion, Nature, and Culture.
Environmental Life Sciences PhD Program
I am interested in studying the life history characteristics of elasmobranch species to better inform conservation and management efforts. Elasmobranchs are important to the health of our oceans. Understanding how life processes, such as reproduction, dietary habits, growth, and movement, intertwine is critical to conservation. I am interested in utilizing reproduction, trophic ecology, and movement to better understand how these different life processes affect individuals and populations of specifically the Caribbean Reef Shark (Carcharhinus perezi). Discernment of movement patterns and how they contribute to biological processes can provide insight into the ecology and population dynamics of this important species and aid in conservation by providing more knowledge on how this species interacts with its environment.
Environmental Life Sciences Phd Program
Camila is a PhD student working in Dr. Hinsby Cadillo-Quiroz’s lab at ASU. Before coming to ASU, Camila worked for several different environmental conservation NGOs in the Peruvian Amazon, learning what it takes to make meaningful conservation while meeting the needs of local populations in complex socioecological situations. She seeks to study carbon sequestration and storage in Amazon wetlands, as well as the impacts of land-use change on this ecosystem service. Specifically, she studies peatlands – a specific type of carbon rich wetland – in the Amazon basin within Bolivia and Peru, in hopes of informing the management of these ecosystems from a sustainable development perspective.
Human and Social Dimensions of Science and Technology PhD Program
Chris is working on his PhD in the Human and Social Dimensions of Science and Technology (AKA Science and Technology Studies). His research explores the ways that different scientific and professional communities generate and use knowledge, and the impact that this has on their ability to communicate, collaborate, and work together on complex sustainability problems. He has a BS in Sustainability from ASU and an MA in Global Affairs and Management from Thunderbird School of Global Management.
Environmental Life Sciences PhD Program
Kate Weiss is a PhD student working with Dr. Beckett Sterner of ASU and Dr. Jan Schipper of the Arizona Center for Nature Conservation/Phoenix Zoo. Her work seeks to understand urbanization’s impact on mammal communities, species interactions, and human-wildlife conflict. Specifically, she focuses on how cities influence coyote distributions, biology, and interactions with other middle-sized carnivores, especially pets. By understanding how and why coyotes occupy urban spaces, she hopes her work will inform urban wildlife management that supports the needs of people while also considering the unique ecological benefits coyotes provide urban systems.
Katherine is working on her PhD in the Human and Social Dimensions of Science and Technology. Her work merges her background in oceanography (B.S. University of Washington) and Science Policy (MSTP Arizona State University). Studying marine policy within the United States Katherine focuses on how communities are or are not engaged with policy implementation. She aims to understand how community engagement is restricted by government knowledge production systems. Her current work focuses on marine mammal subsistence in the state of Alaska. The work examines the state and federal government structures from feminist standpoints to understand how differences are resolved to implement the Marine Mammal Protection Act.