Five Questions with Sedona Ryan ’24
July 22, 2024
Meet Sedona Ryan our new research coordinator at the UNC Institute for the Environment’s Center for Environmental Modeling for Policy Development. She joined us this spring shortly before she completed her M.S. in ecology at UNC-Chapel Hill. Ryan earned a B.S. in biology and minored in anthropology at Vassar College. As an undergraduate, she conducted conservation-focused research in amphibian ecology, including independent research projects on predator-induced phenotypic plasticity and the impact of water chemistry on tree frogs. In her graduate studies, Ryan’s NSF-funded research explored hybridization-facilitated range expansion in amphibians with genetic sequencing and hybrid breeding, and she spearheaded a field collections project spanning three states. Ryan previously served as the lead teaching assistant for an environment and society course before joining the CEMPD in her new position.
Tell us about your career so far.
I earned a B.A. in biology at Vassar College and spent three years conducting conservation-focused research in amphibian ecology, coral reef endocrinology and plant phylogeny. I also completed a minor in anthropology and had the opportunity to combine these fields while studying human-environment interactions and wildlife management at The School for Field Studies in Kimana, Kenya. Directly following my graduation from Vassar, I moved down to Chapel Hill to become a graduate student in the University of North Carolina’s Environment, Ecology and Energy Program (E3P), where I studied amphibian hybridization. I was offered the CEMPD research coordinator position in April and began working part-time while simultaneously finishing my coursework, graduate research and teaching assistant position. I graduated this May with an M.S. in ecology, and I am now excited to fully launch my career with UNC’s Institute for the Environment!
What are you looking forward to most as CEMPD’s new research coordinator?
I am excited to be working with and learning from so many bright minds in the fields of air quality and public health. I’ve always been passionate about environmental science, so I really wanted to find an organization with impactful work that can be applied towards improving our society. More specifically, I am really looking forward to hosting the CMAS Conference this October. I am super organized and love to plan, so it will be really rewarding to see my skills bring the conference into fruition and facilitate exciting scientific conversations and connections!
You are a recipient of the Kate Roberts Prize in Biology, and a two-time recipient of the Nancy Skinner Clark Fellowship for Graduate Study. You have done research funded by the National Science Foundation, a fellowship on coral reef conservation and research in Kenya on wildlife management. Is there a discipline, mindset, or practice that has helped you achieve all these things?
The best practice that has allowed me to achieve so many opportunities for myself has been to take the time to truly research what my institutions have had to offer. I selected Vassar College for the outstanding academic reputation, so I made sure to dig deep into their online resources, course catalog and at their career center to find experiences that interested me. Another practice that helped me succeed, as cliché as it sounds, has been to really be myself in my interviews and application essays.
What has been the most rewarding thing you have experienced in your career so far?
The most rewarding experience I’ve had so far has been my position as a teaching assistant at UNC-Chapel Hill. I have really appreciated the chance to work with students from all different backgrounds, majors, learning levels and interests while sharing my passion for environmental science. It makes me so happy to see my students progress as writers, public speakers and global citizens. I’ve actually kept copies of all of the sweet course evaluations and “thank you” emails that my students have written to me; it makes me proud to know they felt welcomed and supported in my recitation sections.
What’s something surprising that not many people know about you?
I have been a vegetarian my entire life!