Join the SCBNA Student Affairs Committee for the fifth webinar in our professional development series for the 2024/25 programmatic year. Our invited speaker(s) will cover topics ranging from an overview of potential careers in conservation to how to identify and develop your strengths for different career paths. Attendees will be able to ask questions of our speaker(s) and a recording of the webinar (along with useful resources) will be available for future viewing via our YouTube site. For more information on our speaker(s), please continue reading below:
Speakers:
1) Rebecca Hufft | President, SCBNA | Associate Director of Applied Conservation, Denver Botanic Gardens
Dr. Hufft is the Associate Director of Applied Conservation at Denver Botanic Gardens, where she has overseen plant conservation projects since 2011. Prior to coming to the Gardens, she received her doctorate in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology from the University of California Santa Cruz, conducted a postdoctoral fellowship at Colorado State University, and served as a Senior Supervising Scientist at the National Ecological Observatory Network. She is a broadly trained conservation biologist whose research interests include restoration, ex situ conservation, long-term monitoring, and phenology. She served as co-chair for the North American Congress for Conservation Biology 2020.
2) Bernie Traversari | Director of Operations & Programs, SCBNA
Bernie’s background includes research in developmental ecology and amphibian conservation and positions in non-profit leadership, community outreach, and science education. Before joining SCBNA, Bernie served as the Director of Science Outreach at Edgewood College in Madison, WI, where he led the development and implementation of community-based science education programs for underrepresented communities across the state. He is also Board Vice President of the Urban Learning Collaborative, a Milwaukee-based non-profit aimed at training the next generation of K-12 educators. Bernie is passionate about connecting scientists with community leaders, grassroots organizations, and students of all ages through his role at SCBNA, all in an effort to protect our natural world. Bernie received a B.S. in Biology from Trinity University in San Antonio, TX, and an M.S. in Biology from Washington State University. He lives and works in Milwaukee, WI with his wife and their cat.
3) Anna Weber | Student Representative, SCBNA | Postdoctoral Researcher, Florida Institute of Technology
Originally hailing from Michigan, Anna is a postdoctoral researcher in the Shark Conservation Lab in the Ocean Engineering & Marine Sciences Department at the Florida Institute of Technology, where she conducts research on climate change responses in sharks. She received her doctorate in Integrative Biology from the University of New Orleans after completing a dissertation focused on conservation genetics of primates in Gabon. As the student representative for SCBNA, Anna is enthusiastic about providing resources and support to students and early career professionals in the field of conservation. She lives in Palm Bay, Florida with her partner and their dog and cat.
