Maya Risin’s Journey in Wildlife Ecology

Maya Risin, a junior biology and environmental science double major, is an aspiring wildlife disease ecologist passionate about interdisciplinary work. Her journey in this field began in the summer of 2022, when her peer mentor in the Scholars Program connected her with an opportunity to conduct field research on amphibian fungal diseases in the San Jose Mountains.

"I'd never been camping," Maya mentioned, "or to the west coast." Refusing to be daunted, she accepted the role, applied for and received a Summer Opportunities Grant, and made a trip to REI. 

On and off campus, Maya exemplifies a collaborative approach to urgent questions about our ecological future.

This past summer in Athens, Maya attended a self-directed research program at the University of Georgia and presented at the annual Wildlife Disease Association Conference. As a peer mentor and DEI committee member in Emory's Environmental Science Department, Maya is dedicated to increasing representation and support for future generations of young ecologists entering a field dominated by people who do not look like them. 

This fall, Maya is one of 20 students attending the Ecological Society of America's National Field Trip program at Rice University in Houston. Co-hosted by the ESA's Black Ecologists Section, this year's trip focuses on urban ecology and environmental justice; it provides a rare opportunity to connect with other Black researchers and learn from equity-oriented ecologists.