Category: Speakers

Mindy is a data management specialist working in the registrar’s office at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute, where she helps manage records on all of the animals and biomaterials in NZCBI’s care. She previously worked as an animal caregiver for more than two decades with a variety of species including bears, big cats, primates, and small carnivores. With a Ph.D. in psychology focused on animal behavior and cognition, she has conducted behavioral and cognitive research with bears in an effort to improve their management in zoos. Mindy consults with a variety of NGOs, accredited and non-accredited zoos around the world, and state animal law enforcement to help assess animal welfare issues and educate caregivers on proper husbandry for bears and other species. Mindy is the vice president of the Bear Care Group, an international non-profit whose mission is to foster improvements in global bear welfare. She is also the studbook keeper for the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) sun bear population, and a member of AZA’s Bear Taxon Advisory Group Steering Committee.

Aliyah Griffith Is a marine biologist and the CEO and Founder of Mahogany Mermaids, a nonprofit organization dedicated to inspiring children of color to engage in aquatic sciences. As a PhD Candidate in Marine Science, her work focuses on coral reef ecosystems, integrating scuba diving, satellite imagery and remote-operated vehicles (ROVs) to study reef resilience and management. Her research experiences have taken her from the reefs of Moorea, French Polynesia to the Caribbean coastlines of Barbados, and has been published in Integrative and Comparative Biology and Reef Encounter.

In 2022, she became the first African American to earn a graduate degree in marine science from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Her current work on reef management has earned recognition and support from organizations such as the National Geographic Society, the American Museum of Natural History and the International Coral Reef Society. As a National Geographic Explorer, Aliyah has contributed to promotional materials for The Little Mermaid and hosted a screening for families connected to her nonprofit. She also represented National Geographic during ABC Storyteller’s Spotlight at Essence Fest 2023. Passionate about inspiring future generations, she has authored a children’s book, My Secret Mermaid, showcasing careers in marine science and ocean exploration.

Jason is currently a contractor with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Previously he was a Research Professional at the University of Georgia Savannah River Ecology Laboratory where he managed projects and was co-principal investigator for multiple research. Jason earned a PhD at George Mason University with a research focus on the shark trade in Costa Rica.

The major goal of Dr. Valderrama’s research program is to improve the environmental and economic management of living marine resources through the application of methods derived from economic and social science. His work is largely interdisciplinary and draws from disciplines as varied as marine biology, fish ecology, and natural resource economics. Dr. Valderrama has examined the environmental and economic performance of a number of fisheries in the U.S. and Latin America (Atlantic sea scallops, salmon, shrimp). In addition, he has investigated the production and environmental economics of a broad range of aquaculture species (shrimp, tilapia, catfish, hybrid striped bass, scallops, seaweed) and culture systems around the world. His research has also attempted to measure the potential of aquaculture to improve the socio-economic conditions of coastal communities affected by declining fisheries in developing countries. The accomplishment of marine conservation objectives through the development of sustainable aquaculture industries is another long-standing research interest. Dr. Valderrama has implemented his research program through academic institutions in the U.S. and Colombia, and also as an Aquaculture Officer for the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).

Terrionna is an undergraduate Honors College research student at George Mason University. She is pursuing a degree in Environmental Science with a concentration in Human and Ecosystem Response to Climate Change. Her research focuses on the intersection between the environment and public perceptions.

Dr. Emily E. Conway is an Assistant Professor of Environmental Science, Conservation, and Ecology in the Department of Environmental Science and Policy. Dr. Conway’s research aims to use fundamental ecological theory along with the practice of ecological restoration to better understand the controls over community assembly specifically in urban areas. Her research has primarily been conducted in the field and has been centered on urban forests communities as well as restored and reconstructed grasslands in the Midwest and along the East Coast, with specific emphasis on plant
populations and communities as well as plant-animal interactions.

Ted Chen is an assistant professor at George Mason University studying climate change politics and network methods for social scientific research. His research focuses on the social and political consequences of climate change and efforts to stem these often unequal outcomes. He is particularly interested in the heterogeneity in how individuals adapt to climate change exposure, including through political participation and migration, and the role of activism and science communication in preferences toward climate policies. Ted also has a methodological focus in developing network approaches for studying complexity in political phenomena, with emphasis on multilayer network representations of social and political systems. These approaches encompass the complexities of coupled socioecological systems and improve our ability to address the interdependencies of policy problems associated with climate change.