Welcome!
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My name is Cesar Estien (Say-zar Es-tee-en) and I'm an incoming NSF Graduate Research & Chancellor Fellow at University of California, Berkeley in the Schell Lab. As an ecologist, I'm interested in understanding how humans influence eco-evolutionary dynamics with hopes of translating this information to create effective conservation policies that nurture and preserve biodiversity. I occasionally write about new work in urban ecology over at Life in the City: Evolving in an Urbanizing World - check it out! The articles I have published can be found here. When I don't write about urban ecology, I'm writing my other thoughts down on my personal blog. As a science communicator, it is crucial to realize that science cannot reach its full potential without being inclusive on all fronts. I am passionate about increasing diversity within STEM and amplifying disenfranchised voices whenever I am able to. As a scientist, I believe it is important to make it my priority to leave the field in a better, more diverse state than how I found it. |
"There will never be science for the people until we have all the people in science." - Dr. Joseph Graves Jr.
News:
March 2021 PT 2: Absolutely honored and grateful to announce that I was awarded the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship!! It's insane seeing my name on this list!! I'm excited to start my research in the fall examining how sociological factors interact with urban stressors to impact wildlife physiology. I hope this research can be used to combat environmental racism and influence conservation policies!
March 2021 PT 2: Absolutely honored and grateful to announce that I was awarded the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship!! It's insane seeing my name on this list!! I'm excited to start my research in the fall examining how sociological factors interact with urban stressors to impact wildlife physiology. I hope this research can be used to combat environmental racism and influence conservation policies!
March 2021: Exciting start to March! 1) I was awarded Berkeley's Chancellor Fellowship for Graduate Study!, 2) I'm officially back in the field with the Hobson Lab, & 3) My first paper was published! I'm stoked to have published "Virtual Conferences: Benefits and How to Support Underrepresented Students" in the ESA Bulletin. Give it a read on their site or check out my publication page!
March 2021: Exciting start to March! 1) I was awarded Berkeley's Chancellor Fellowship for Graduate Study!, 2) I'm officially back in the field with the Hobson Lab, & 3) My first paper was published! I'm stoked to have published "Virtual Conferences: Benefits and How to Support Underrepresented Students" in the ESA Bulletin. Give it a read on their site or check out my publication page!
February 2021: I got accepted into University of California at Berkeley's Environmental Science, Policy, and Management PhD Program! I'll be working in the Schell Lab and researching how socioeconomic factors interact with urban stressors to affect mesocarnivores. Additionally, I was awarded the ESA Student Section Trailblazing Award for Diversity & Inclusion! This award recognizes my undergraduate and current work in DEI Initiatives as well as my future plans for increasing exposure/accessibility to the field of natural sciences for marginalized communities.
February 2021: I got accepted into University of California at Berkeley's Environmental Science, Policy, and Management PhD Program! I'll be working in the Schell Lab and researching how socioeconomic factors interact with urban stressors to affect mesocarnivores. Additionally, I was awarded the ESA Student Section Trailblazing Award for Diversity & Inclusion! This award recognizes my undergraduate and current work in DEI Initiatives as well as my future plans for increasing exposure/accessibility to the field of natural sciences for marginalized communities.
January 2021: I wrapped up my time with the woodpeckers at Hastings in December and I'm heading back to Florida to do some remote work for the Hobson Lab before starting a field season working with monk parakeets.
January 2021: I wrapped up my time with the woodpeckers at Hastings in December and I'm heading back to Florida to do some remote work for the Hobson Lab before starting a field season working with monk parakeets.
November/December 2020: Finished deploying camera traps with Jen (the little blue dot in the back)!! We're interested in how mammalian communities are using the burned areas of Hastings, how this assemblage may change over time, and how this is different from the use of the non-burned areas. Additionally, this will (hopefully) establish a long-term study on the movement ecology of mammalian communities here at Hastings. We're looking forward to what we'll find and what will come of this!!
October 2020: I participated in the Princeton EEB Scholar Program and was able to give a quick talk on my undergraduate work! This month I also submitted my NSF GRFP Proposal which you can find on this page. Fingers crossed!
August 2020: Big month! I was awarded the Charles H. Turner Award from the Animal Behavior Society and attended the conference as a Turner fellow, presented my research at the ESA Virtual Conference, wrapped up my internship in Montana at Benton Lake, and arrived in California to start a field season at Hastings Natural History Reservation! I'll be working on the long-term study investigating the ecology and evolution on acorn woodpeckers during my time here.
June 2020: Heading out to Montana to begin my summer internship at Benton Lake National Wildlife Refuge! I'll be helping monitor the selenium levels across the refuge, doing point-counts and vegetation surveys during my time here.
May 2020: Graduated (virtually) from Florida State University with my Bachelors of Science!! I majored in Biology focusing in Ecology and Evolution and minored in Chemistry. Here's to a gap year before applying to grad school!
