Students 2024
Ashley Brant -
Ashley is a senior at the University of Alaska Fairbanks majoring in geoscience with a concentration in Geospatial Science and minoring in Mathematics. By developing her skills in GIS, she has discovered a talent for creating attractive maps that convey important information for safer infrastructure. She has a personal interest in the ocean’s geology, especially plate tectonics. One day she would like to help map the ocean’s bathymetry. Outside of school and work, she enjoys hiking with her dog, camping, drawing, cooking, rock hounding, and playing video games.
Brandilyn Castro -
Brandilyn Castro is a student at the University of Alaska Southeast in Juneau, AK. She moved to Juneau from Phoenix two years ago to pursue her dream degree in marine biology. After earning her BS next spring, she will be moving on to a marine biology and policy graduate degree through UAF. She hopes to be involved in conservation-focused research on marine organisms of all kinds. Later in life, her goal is to be involved in international marine policy and management with a focus on public education to awaken the conservation biologist in anyone she can reach. In the meantime, she spends her time studying and working hard to meet these goals, snuggling with her two cats, and visiting new places around Juneau with her life partner.
Jodi Fouche -
Jodi Fouche graduated with her Associate of Arts in 2023 and recently relocated from Detroit, MI to Fairbanks, AK to complete a bachelor’s degree at the University of Alaska Fairbanks. She is pursuing a BA in Biology with a minor in Ethnobotany. Jodi’s research interests include analyzing archeological botanical remains to understand how human-plant relationships have influenced environmental change throughout time. Through her studies, Jodi has learned that understanding cultural practices will better help scientists understand the world we live in. In the future, Jodi plans to pursue a doctoral degree that will focus on how ancient humans’ relationships with plants influenced the changes in landscapes throughout time. Outside of school and research, Jodi enjoys dancing, cooking, reading, and spending time with loved ones. She works with a multitude of medicinal plants and finds joy in curating herbal remedies for the benefit of others.
Louis Jovanovich -
Louis Jovanovich grew up in the Seattle area where he completed a commercial electrician apprenticeship with IBEW Local 46. Louis now lives in Anchorage and attends the University of Alaska Anchorage in the Geological Sciences program. Louis is very passionate about science and science education and believes that anyone, regardless of their background, can become a scientist and can benefit from learning to think like a scientist. He hopes to become a science teacher.
Adonis Scalia -
Adonis is a sophomore at the University of Alaska Southeast, working towards a BS in Marine Biology and a minor in Creative Writing. They grew up in the state of Mississippi deeply fascinated by the rich cultural tapestry and the never-silent woods just outside their back door. They hope to use their love of writing and science to communicate their fascination with our oceans to a broad audience and bring awareness to causes that will mitigate the effects of climate change. Outside of school, you can find Don reading, writing, hanging out with friends, or watching their pet turtle Squishy doing his day-to-day activities.
Hannah Zimmerman -
Hannah is an Inuit-Yup’ik-Unangan/Eskaleut Languages Student at the University of Alaska-Fairbanks. She is passionate about providing culturally and environmentally appropriate community welfare for Indigenous and local peoples in rural and circumpolar areas. Hannah speaks 15 languages, is a trained opera singer, and comes from mixed Askinazi Jewish and Romani Heritage.